Durban – KwaZulu-Natal authorities on Wednesday confiscated a batch of expired liquor from a bottle store in Umlazi after the booze was allegedly sold to unsuspecting customers.
Economic Development MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube said the department received a complaint on Tuesday night about the store.
The raid was carried out by inspectors from the department’s consumer protection unit, along with the KZN Liquor Authority, Department of Labour, police and Durban Metro.
The MEC said that a batch of Brutal Fruit, which expired in July, had been confiscated.
“The presence of officials from the South African Revenue Services, in some of our raids, have strengthened our efforts to ensure compliance with the laws of the country,” she added.
In the first week of June, the KwaZulu-Natal Liquor Authority, the body mandated with regulating the sale and control of liquor within the province, found expired liquor to be “common areas of contraventions” in its Covid-19 regulation compliance inspections, said Dube-Ncube.
“Over the past four months, more than 10 liquor outlets have been shut down on the basis of enough evidence pointing out the violation of the Covid-19 regulations.”
“It should be emphasised that inspectors will continue to act firmly should there be any evidence indicating the violation of the sale of liquor in terms of the KZN Liquor Licensing Act,” she said.
The ban on the sale of alcohol in South Africa has been lifted since June 1.
African News Agency (ANA)