SAAPA cautions against awarding of liquor licenses to petrol stations

The Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance (SAAPA) has warned that the awarding of liquor licenses to petrol stations could have negative repercussions.

It says this would also lead to an increase in alcohol consumption, job losses and drunk driving.

SAAPA further says allowing global petrol giants to dominate the alcohol industry in conjunction with supermarket chains has already resulted in the closure of 70% of small retailers and a loss of 60 000 jobs.

SAAPA Director, Maurice Smithers has called for an immediate halt to issuing these licenses.

“It’s a thing around the world. They are trying to become this kind of a one-stop-shop in a particular area and they want people to go and buy some groceries there, newspapers, basic essentials and now alcohol as well and we are concerned that this is going to lead from an economic point of view to the further closure of small businesses,” says Smithers.

Sale of alcohol

In July, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the sale of alcohol from retail outlets for off-site consumption will be permitted between 10 am and 6 pm from Monday to Thursday.

He says alcohol sales for on-site consumption will be permitted as per licence conditions up to 8 pm.

VIDEO: Convener of the National Liquor Traders Council reacts to the restrictions on the sale of alcohol:

Liquor ban

Meanwhile, last month, the High Court in Cape Town reserved judgment in the case that wine representative body, Vinpro has brought to contest the approach that government has followed in liquor ban restrictions under the Disaster Management Act.

The wine body launched an application during the second wave of COVID-19 infections in January this year.

It has now also approached the court to include evidence for the way in which it says, the blanket liquor ban was wrongly implemented during the third wave.