Cape Town - Police destroyed thousands of litres of liquor, seized from a number of illegally operated shebeens across the Western Cape on Monday.
The confiscated alcohol included bottles of whisky, brandy, vodka, champagne, wine and beer.
The media were also taken on a tour of the warehouse at the police’s evidence management centre in Belhar where the confiscated alcohol, with labels tagging the names of the areas each bottle was confiscated from, was kept.
The acting provincial police commissioner, Major-General Tembisile Patekile, and his colleagues poured the contents of each bottle into a large bin.
“We are here to destroy about 10 000 litres of alcohol confiscated during raids and operations at various premises throughout the Western Cape.
“Experience has taught us that alcohol and substance abuse are the main generators of serious and violent crime in this province,” he said.
Patekile said over the years police had linked murders, attempted murders, robberies and sexual offences to the abuse of liquor and drugs.
“It is our contention that if we intensify our efforts in ridding our communities of the scourge of alcohol abuse, we will go a long way in reducing serious crime that is plaguing the communities of the Western Cape.”
Community police forum provincial board representative Abdul Tajoodien said liquor was “a destroyer” of many families.
“I’ve seen a lot of families destroyed by alcohol – even police members have fallen prey. We as the community need to work together with the police to curb the illegal selling of alcohol,” he said.
Patekile said there had been an increase in the number of illegal liquor outlets in the province.
“These are the places that our members raid from time to time.
“We have observed under-age children frequenting shebeens and other illegal outlets. Many of them have ended up becoming victims of crime.
“That has to stop,” he said, referring to the incident where eight youths were killed in a stampede at a Khayelitsha tavern in July.
Cape Argus