SEDIBENG – An illicit liquor disposal operation carried out by Sedibeng District Police in conjunction with various law enforcement agencies has highlighted the negative impact of excessive alcohol abuse on communities, especially on women and children who often become victims of violence as a result.
This was emphasised by the deputy District Commissioner Brigadier Mbhangwa Nkhwashu, who led the operation on September 19 at the Sebokeng Waste Water Treatment Plant along the Golden Highway in Sebokeng.
Speaking to Ster North, Brigadier Nkhwashu said the liquor was seized from non-compliant liquor operators operating without the proper permits and licensing.
“During our compliance operations, our members happen to come across various liquor stores that are not adhering to the South African Liquor Act, and this liquor gets taken in.” Nkhwashu stated that when police confiscate the liquor, it is not an act they commit because they want to take the liquor for their own use, but as a way to maintain law and order.
“This is why we carry out these operations, as proof to the community that the alcohol gets disposed of.” Talking about the negative social implications, Nkhwashu named alcohol as one of the substances that is highly abused in communities.
“Alcohol abuse harms communities by increasing crime, domestic violence, and accidents. The majority of crime scenes we attend stem from alcohol abuse. Our youth are the most affected, and this trend is destroying their future,” he said.
It was further highlighted that liquor abuse remains a leading contributor to crime, expressing serious concerns about the trend.
The director of compliance and enforcement at the Gauteng Liquor Board (GLB), Mbongeni Shabangu, has previously urged the police to be stricter when dealing with people involved in the illicit trade of alcohol. He said police should not only issue fines to people operating outside the guidelines that govern the liquor trade. “You have the right to contact the liquor board so that those licenses can get revoked.”
Other stakeholders who attended the operation include the District CPF, the Department of Community Safety, representatives from the GLB, and station commanders from all the police stations in Sedibeng.
