Cape bars, clubs get grace period

Independent Newspapers

Cape Town clubs and bars are to be given several months grace to become "educated" on their reduced trading hours, the City said. Photo: Independent Newspapers

Cape Town clubs and bars are to be given several months grace to become “educated” on their reduced trading hours, the City said on Thursday.

In yet another confusing instalment in its crackdown on liquor sales, it said both that its new by-law would not be enforced at all until a later stage, and that it would not be “stringently” enforced until later.

The by-law, which limits the trading hours of inner-city bars and clubs to 2am, comes into effect at midnight on December 31.

Some venues were granted special dispensations under existing legislation to stay open to 4am.

A group of owners have threatened to go to court next week over the new law.

“The by-law will be phased in over the next few months and will not be stringently enforced until all role players have been extensively educated and informed about the new legislation,” the city's communications department said in a statement on Thursday.

However the statement also quoted the chairman of the council's liquor policy task team Taki Amira as saying: “We will not enforce the by-law, fine nor prosecute people until all role players have been properly educated.”

Everyone would be “given a fair chance to make sure they comply with the law”, he said.

On Wednesday he said in a media statement that bars and clubs in business areas “will have to close by 02:00 on January 1”, and that liquor outlets “will have to abide by the new legislation”.

Amira and the city have been unable to say whether the new by-law means businesses will be able to stay open after 2am, selling non-alcoholic products such as coffee, and what will happen if patrons order several drinks just before 2am.

Amira also maintained on Wednesday that there had already been adequate communication on the changes.

“When people say, we haven't been told, we haven't been communicated (with), it shocks me,” he said then.

He said in Thursday's statement that the aim was not to immediately close down clubs, bars and restaurants that did not comply, but to “properly inform everyone affected by the new by-law in order for them to comply”.

“As with all new legislation, it has been decided that this new by-law will be phased in over a period of time,” he said.

The City's safety and security chief, Richard Bosman, said that initially the City's law enforcement agencies would merely register complaints from the public “and keep record thereof for future reference”.

- Sapa