Western Cape Premier Helen Zille says alcohol abuse is the main cause of the violent crimes which have given Nyanga a bad reputation.
Speaking at a safety summit at the Zolani Community Hall in the township on Saturday she said: “Alcohol drives the rate of violence. That’s a tragic fact.”
She said there should be a clampdown on illegal shebeens.
”In 2010 the police closed down over 100 illegal shebeens in Nyanga over the Christmas period and we got the calmest, quietest and most peaceful Christmas in Nyanga that we’d had in many years. Murder and rape came right down and that showed us the connection between alcohol and violence.”
Conceding that the idea was not a popular one, Zille said the provincial government wanted to make sure people were protected.
“I looked at the statistics of alcohol consumption in South Africa and they are very serious. Alcohol abuse has been repeatedly shown to be the main factor behind violence, irresponsible and reckless behaviour and, ultimately the burden of disease which the public health-care system has to deal with at great cost.”
Zille added that, by using the Western Cape Liquor Act, the province would aim to reduce the number of drinking spots in residential areas.
“We will also be cracking down on distributors and retailers who supply the illegal shebeens operating in our residential communities.”
Zille said the burden of injury associated with alcohol-related road accidents, violence and other trauma, along with illness in the Western Cape, cost the government in the region of R6 billion every year.
“Alongside the roll-out of the Liquor Act, we will also implement the ‘high street model’, thus creating commercial zones where alcohol could then legally be sold and consumed.”
These high streets would provide secure business environments with better lighting, policing, pedestrian walkways and partnerships with taxi associations to ensure that people drank more responsibly and got home safely.
The premier added that the provincial government was also driving initiatives such as extended activities for young people after school so that they were kept occupied and did not experiment with alcohol and drugs.
“Through the more than180 MOD (mass participation, opportunity and access, development and growth) Centres in the province, we extend opportunities for recreation and extra-curricular learning which aims to prevent young people in vulnerable communities from starting on the path of alcohol abuse.”
Zille urged people to co-operate with the government.
“It is not going to be easy to close down illegal shebeens. I call on everyone here to join hands with us to build a safer Nyanga, a safer Cape Town and a safer Western Cape in which our children and families are able to live lives they truly value,” she said.
Representatives from the National Prosecuting Authority, police, the Nyanga Community Policing Forum and criminal justice system, as well as local and provincial government attended the event, which was aimed at giving communities input into the criminal justice system and help make the areas they live in safer.
Weekend Argus