Johannesburg - Four people - including the owner of a Soweto shebeen - were arrested on Friday when police uncovered a hidden booze hangout with over R1.5m worth of alcohol stock.
The police made the discovery when they stopped a sedan vehicle, which was overloaded with three passengers under the current Covid-19 lockdown regulations. According to directives of the lockdown regulations, sedans are only allowed to have two passengersin a bid to contain the spread of the virus, and minibus taxis, are allowed to carry 70% of their passengers.
Upon searching the vehicle, police found that alcohol worth about R500 in the car, a contravention of the lockdown regulations as the transportation of alcohol is illegal under the current National State of Disaster.
National police spokesperson Brigadier Vish Naidoo said the three suspects led the police to the shebeen where they bought the booze and the owner was duly arrested as well, with the police proceeding to confiscate over R1.5m worth of stock found at the venue.
Naidoo said the four suspects, including the owner, are expected to appear in court on Monday.
Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Friday that the government would not be lifting an alcohol ban. This comes after 20 000 tavern owners approached the Gauteng Liquor Forum and threatened to take the government to court if the ban was not lifted.
Ramaphosa has told the liquor sellers to approach government agencies for economic relief as they complained they were losing business by having their businesses shut down.