More than 590 unlicensed liquor outlets have been charged for non-compliance with the Liquor Act in the past three months, Mpumalanga police said on Friday.
The owners of over 80 licensed liquor outlets were also charged, Colonel Leonard Hlathi said.
More than 5 000 people were charged with public drinking and driving under the influence of alcohol since the start of the operation on October 18.
“Currently police have disposed of more than 19 000 litres of liquor which were confiscated from unlicensed liquor outlets and from people drinking in public.”
Major General Meshack Nogwanya said this was a warning that violation of the law by liquor outlet owners would not be tolerated.
“From now henceforth, we will close down any business for non-compliance and temporarily suspend your licence for a period of time,” he said in a statement.
Nogwanya said all liquor outlets found violating licence conditions would be closed.
Any motorist or their passengers found drinking while driving would be prosecuted, he said.
Sapa