Cape Town - Police minister Bheki Cele was flabbergasted by the amount of alcohol confiscated by the police from raids and searches conducted at illegal liquor outlets in the Western Cape.
As part of the Safer Festive Season campaign, Cele and SAPS management including national Police Commissioner Khehla Sithole and Western Cape Police Commissioner Khombinkosi Jula, on Wednesday visited the police’s central liquor storage facility in Belhar, where 10 000 litres of confiscated alcohol was destroyed.
As the liquor was disposed of, as Cele was answering the question on many people’s lips: Why don’t the police sell the booze instead of destroying it?
However, Cele said that when he had met Sitole they agreed that doing so would be breaking the law.
“We had to adhere to what the laws are saying about the selling of confiscated alcohol,” Cele said.
He added that it was possible that money from criminal activity could be “fused” into the justice system to help fight crime, and that their legal team was looking into it.
“It might be a possibility in the future,” Cele said.
“We do not doubt that alcohol is one of the main drivers of crime, especially over the festive season.
“No doubt, many road accidents come from alcohol, beach drownings are caused by alcohol, therefore it is important that we regulate the intake of alcohol. Not just regulate, but to protect against the effects of alcohol abuse,” Cele said.
Safer Festive Season operations Minister of Police Mr Bheki Cele and SAPS management destroying liquor confiscated from raids and searches conducted at illegal liquor outlets throughout the Western Cape. Picture: Ayanda Ndamane African News Agency (ANA)
Centre commander Andre Kay conducted a walkabout to show the police management the quantity of confiscated alcohol stored at the facility.
Kay said they disposed of thousands of litres every month.
Jula said the Western Cape was one of the main pillars of the Safer Festive Season operation.
“We are here to indicate the impact and the progress that we are making in our province, in terms of confiscation,” Jula said.
Sitole said: “This operation is still going to extend to the final closing down of all illegal outlets by making sure that there are no further causes that will allow people to trade alcohol illegally.”
Sitole said the police stations that brought in the most confiscated booze also happened to be the stations with the highest rates of murder, attempted murder, rape and sexual assault.
“We call on communities to stop selling liquor without a licence. The community must discourage those committing such offences,” Sithole said.
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