The city’s decision to ease its liquor by-law has been welcomed by some councillors, but others said the decision would effectively make Cape Town the “drunk capital of the world”.
Mayor Patricia de Lille told Wednesday’s council meeting about the difficulty of keeping the balance between “many social pressures, business concerns, individual rights and governmental responsibilities”.
She said the by-law distinguished between sale and consumption, forbidding only sales after 2am. “However, it realises that some areas are recognised social spots with minimal disruptive potential,” said De Lille.
The amended version of the by-law fixed many irregularities and inconsistencies. “It allows for champagne breakfasts. It allows for winetasting. It allows for a range of activities that were unnecessarily excluded. It regularises trade… It will allow for enforceability where there are social disruptions and it will allow for a degree of preventing the kind of excess that allows for abuse.”
Councillor Anwar Adams, of the PAC, welcomed the amended bylaw but said the mayor should not think that all people were responsible, saying certain judges “get totally intoxicated”. He said Long Street should be monitored more closely because of its places of worship like churches and mosques.
Ganief Hendricks, of Al Jama-Ah, objected: “It will make Cape Town the drunk capital of the world. We need to review these trading hours,” he said.
“The state does not have a right to intervene in people’s personal lives… However, it does have the responsibility to intervene where there is harm. I do not believe we should be under any illusions about the harm that alcohol abuse causes in our society,” said De Lille.
Half the people who died in road accidents had an “elevated blood alcohol level”. In 2010 the city came in for heavy criticism for its by-law, with establishments saying the tight curbs would lead to financial losses. - Cape Times