The Liquor Traders Association of South Africa (LTASA) says it is working with government to deploy community patrollers at COVID-19 hotspot areas to assist with monitoring compliance.
This after liquor outlets and taverns were identified by health officials in the Eastern Cape as key enablers for the rapid spread of coronavirus infections.
LTASA Convenor, Lucky Mtimane, says the industry has committed to train and deploy 80 community patrollers at Eastern Cape police stations.
“The patrollers association will assist the Community Policing Forums (CPF) and the police in managing issues around compliance. We also want to make sure that we take care of the issue of drinking and driving. These patrollers will be walking around in these communities identified as hotspots to report those who are non-compliant.”
“They will also liaise with the Liquor Board to make sure than anything that is not in line with our expectations in terms of compliance, with the COVID-19 regulations, will be reported and the issue will be dealt with as a matter of urgency,” adds Mtimane.
Meanwhile, the closure of taverns and shebeens, meant a significant loss of income for a lot of people across South Africa, particularly in poorer areas.
The video below, looks at the economic challenges in the alcohol industry:
