Police in the North West have warned liquor traders that their licences will be revoked if they continue to contravene lockdown regulations. This follows growing concerns that liquor traders and members of the public are generally not complying with the regulations.
This is despite South Africa’s rising coronavirus infections that are being driven by a new more contagious virus.
Police have visited taverns in Ikageng and Khuma townships in Potchefstroom and Stilfontein respectively.
Provincial police spokesperson, Sabata Mokgwabone, says they are very worried about non-compliance.
“It is apparent that some members of the public still do not comply with the Disaster Management Act Regulations. From the taverns that we visited, it was clear that people do not observe social distancing and its apparent that people who are managing those establishments, are also not doing enough to make sure that they comply with Disaster Management Act Regulations. So generally, we can see that people are still not complying. I think this is more of a social behavioural change.”
Mokgwabone says as a number of fines were issued to those found to have been contravening the regulations.
“In a tavern in Ikageng, we have issued a R5000 fine to the owner of the establishment for selling off consumption. We have also issued him with R2000 fine for exceeding the number of people who were supposed to be in a tavern. It is not only in taverns, even in taxis, there is a taxi driver who was not wearing his face mask, and it was not only him even his passengers. So as a result, we also had to issue him with a R2000 fine.”
Growing concern over liquor trader’s non-compliance:
