Outcry as new liquor law comes into play

Vusa Mazula, owner of Zula Bar in Long Street, is concerned about the new liquor by-law, which prohibits the selling of alcohol after 2am. Picture: Sam Clark

Vusa Mazula, owner of Zula Bar in Long Street, is concerned about the new liquor by-law, which prohibits the selling of alcohol after 2am. Picture: Sam Clark

Published Dec 29, 2010

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The City of Cape Town’s new liquor by-law kicks in at midnight on New Year’s eve, but it has admitted that it does not have enough law-enforcement officers to ensure that establishments comply.

Instead, officers will begin enforcing the new legislation by simply advising establishments of the new rules and warning them if they were in contravention, said Mayco member for Safety and Security, JP Smith.

While this was in part because the city did not have sufficient numbers of law enforcement officers to inspect the entire city at once, it was also because the strategy was to rather garner the co-operation of establishments in the long term.

Smith added, however, that the most effective weapon in their arsenal was the fact that establishments serving liquor would now have to apply for liquor licences annually.

Information would be gathered on establishments which regularly or flagrantly flouted the new laws.

This information would be submitted to the Liquor Board, along with other records such as neighbours’ complaints, to support the argument that their licences should not be renewed.

But business owners appear to be confused about the new by-law and are not sure about the time they should stop serving liquor or whether they should close their establishments entirely at 2am instead of 4am.

Enraged Long Street business owners yesterday also insisted that they had not been properly consulted about the new by-law.

The city itself appeared confused during a media briefing at the Civic Centre yesterday and said it would seek further legal advice.

Liquor Policy Task Team chairman, councillor Taki Amira, advised that businesses shut down completely in response to a query from Zula Bar and Restaurant owner Vusa Mazula on whether he could still sell soft drinks after 2am.

Mazula, who has been running his Long Street business for six years, said he heard about the by-law “through the grapevine” and decided to attend the media briefing.

“No-one is telling us anything. It’s our businesses, our livelihood and we pay an untold amount of taxes. This is the worst thought-out law ever. The (financial) damage will be astronomical,” Mazula said.

He said the change in trading hours would have a “woeful” effect on his business and that about 30 percent of his turnover would be lost if he closed shop at 2am.

“People don’t come in (to the bar) until after 11pm and my profit margin comes between 1am and 4am,” Mazula said.

David McCarthy, owner of The Dubliner, said between 20 and 30 percent of his business would be lost if he closed earlier.

But the City maintains that curbing liquor trading times would tackle the liquor “monster”.

“This system aims to halt the harm alcohol causes in our community and, in a small way, address the social ills caused by alcohol,” Amira said.

In residential areas, pubs will have to shut their doors at 11pm. The public can report violations to the municipality or liquor authority.

Liquor traders found guilty of breaching the by-law can be fined up to R30 000 or face three years in prison. - Cape Argus

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