Police Oversight and Community Safety
In relation to the illegal trade in alcohol in the province:
- (a) How many illegal (i) traders and (ii) shebeens were in operation in (aa) 2018/19, (bb) 2019/20, (cc) 2020/21, (dd) 2021/22 and (ee) 2022/23, (b) how many illegal (i) traders and (ii) shebeens has the SAPS investigated during the same period and (c) of those investigate in (b), how many were prosecuted;
- whether the SAPS has any strategy or specialised units to combat the illegal trade in alcohol; if so, what are the relevant details?
The reply of the South African Police Service (SAPS):
2. (1) No distinction is made between illegal traders and shebeens as both entities are illegally dealing in liquor and the charge/contravention will be the same whether the liquor is sold on or off site for consumption.
(a)
|
|
FINANCIAL YEAR |
AMOUNT |
|
(aa) |
2018/2019 |
2 954 |
|
(bb) |
2019/2020 |
2 308 |
|
(cc) |
2020/2021 |
2 012 |
|
(dd) |
2021/2022 |
2 012 |
|
(ee) |
2022/2023 |
2 182 |
(b)
|
|
FINANCIAL YEAR |
AMOUNT |
|
(aa) |
2018/2019 |
4 874 |
|
(bb) |
2019/2020 |
5 456 |
|
(cc) |
2020/2021 |
2 262 |
|
(dd) |
2021/2022 |
3 206 |
|
(ee) |
2022/2023 |
530 |
(c) All illegal traders are prosecuted.
(2) There is no specialised unites to combat illegal trade in alcohol, however at each police station there are appointed Designated Liquor Officers. The Designated Liquor Officers must have a file on each identified illegal liquor trader in their station precinct. Currently illegal liquor traders are policed in terms of National Crime Combatting Instruction 1 of 2021, also known as “Operation Vhuthu Hawe”.
The reply of the Western Cape Liquor Authority (WCLA):
(2) The Western Cape Liquor Authority (WCLA) regulates licensed premises. All illegal outlets acquire liquor from legal outlets. Licenced outlets are therefore monitored and inspected to ensure daily thresholds are not exceeded and proper records are kept.
A recent development was the establishment of a Liquor Law Enforcement Forum to respond to liquor related harms in a holistic manner. Partners include South African Police Service (SAPS), WCLA, City Law Enforcement, Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, South African Revenue Service (SARS) and the Department of Health.
The forum’s activities will not be limited to illegal trading but enable evidence-based interventions.
