Durban - The KwaZulu-Natal Liquor Authority (KZNLA) said it would now have stricter conditions and monitoring of outlets close to religious and/or learning institutions regarding trading hours.
These included looking into the annual renewal period to monitor traders, trading hours as prescribed by the Labour Relations Act and per licence granted, availability of ablution facilities in all on-consumption licences or premises, no sales to visibly intoxicated and pregnant people, provision of a clean bottle or tap water and no sales to under-age people.
This was after the Daily News inquired from the authority about a pub and takeaway operating across the road from Phambili High School in Rossburgh.
KZNLA spokesperson Vuyani Dimba said that when the authority considered liquor licence applications in terms of the Liquor Act, it had to ensure that the applicant met all the criteria stipulated in the act, and that they were fully compliant.
“It will issue such a licence if no harm or prejudice is brought to residents or property owners and it is satisfied that the application is in the public interest,” he said.
Dimba also clarified that before granting an application, the authority had to be satisfied that the proposed premises was not located within a distance of 500m of any religious or learning institutions.
“The establishment in question is a fully licensed outlet,” said Dimba.
Khaleel Kazi, chairperson of the Seaview Neighbourhood Watch, said that last month during a meeting the Bellair police station commander was present, and the issue of the bar had been debated.
“Concerns were that as much as the issue affects us all as a community, it directly affected residents around the pub itself. One of the complaints at the meeting was that the bar doesn’t comply with the new Liquor Act when it comes to pubs being in close proximity to schools,” he said.
Area councillor Gavin Hegter said the matter of the pub was being taken up with local police, and he was also compiling a list of complaints that would be referred to the KZNLA .
He said some residents had raised concerns with him about the establishment, saying it was attracting the wrong crowd to the area.
Phambili High School principal Londa Luthuli said complaints about the bar had reached the school through the area councillor and community.
“My worry right now is that we have not received any direct complaint as a school, but we are attending to it and we will still talk to the bar owner,” he said.
The bar owner, who did not want to be named, claimed he was being victimised as there was no registered police case number for a complaint.
“I have a proper licence, I have been operating there for eight years and I do my renewal every year. And even though my licence permits me to open my doors at 10am, I don’t. We operate when the school is closed, and we don’t sell to under-18s,” he said.
He added that despite not selling liquor during school hours, he did open to sell fast food.
When the Daily News visited the pub, its doors were closed and the gate was locked. There was a section to the side that was selling food.