Warehouse of dagga and booze destroyed

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inlsa

Police pour confiscated alcohol into a large container.

In certain parts of the Flats, a warehouse full of booze and a few bags of dagga often means a lekker, fat jol.

But not when cops are in a party-pooping mood, ready to destroy illegal dop and confiscated drugs worth millions.

On Thursday, more than 858kg of dagga went up in smoke and liquor worth more than R125 000 was flushed away by cops in a strong message to criminals.

Western Cape police commissioner General Arno Lamoer told reporters at Delft’s Medical Waste Management: “For the last nine months, police have confiscated drugs worth R7.9 billion. These have all been possible thanks to tip-offs from communities.”

Police officials and the media watched as Lamoer poured famous brands like Southern Comfort, Red Heart Rum, J&B and Klipdrfit into a large container before watching the bags of dagga go up in smoke.

A police official at the Delft facility said that some of the liquor, all of which was confiscated from illegal shebeens, had passed its expiry dates and that some tavern owners even brewed some of the booze.

“We find that some of the alcohol is home-made and that the shebeen owners would stick the labels on themselves,” the official said.

At the end of the operation, those who hoped to score a leftover six-pack were left disappointed when members of the media and SAPS were served snacks, bottled water and soft drinks.

The officers also made sure no one was allowed to stand downwind from where the dagga was being burned.

- Daily Voice

Safety MEC gets an ultimatum

Residents of a Mitchells Plain suburb hit hard by a drug epidemic are furious that Community Safety MEC Dan Plato told them not to get emotional, and have called for him to step down if he can’t shut down drug dens they say are operating in their area.

Angry residents and parents of drug addicts from Beacon Valley vented their frustration yesterday after attending a round table discussion on drugs and crime in the Western Cape, during which Plato told parents “not to get emotional” about the surge in drug abuse and crime.

The debate was hosted by 567 CapeTalk as part of the fourth anniversary of Primedia Broadcasting’s Crime Line.

Western Cape police commissioner Lieutenant-General Arno Lamoer and Plato were told by residents how drugs were destroying the community and how dealers operated “under the noses of police”.

After the discussion, Mitchells Plain community worker Cheryl Philander said the residents would give Plato an ultimatum.

She said there were 28 drug houses known to police in Beacon Valley and that unemployed youths were being employed by dealers to sell drugs to school children.

“Something has to be done before the end of the month to close those drug houses. The police know where these drug dealers live... but do nothing about it.”

Philander said she was disgusted by Plato’s response to the drug and crime problem in Mitchells Plain.

Plato said during the discussion that his department would work with the community police forum and neighbourhood watches in Mitchells Plain and across the province. “Drug abuse is a big problem, but we must not get emotional.”

Philander said Plato’s response was “disgraceful”.

“It’s very sad. Plato is not fit for that position. Our children are being turned into zombies because of tik and heroin.”

The call for Plato to step down was backed by the Mitchells Plain Community Policing Forum.

Its chairman Michael Jacobs, who also attended the discussion, said: “Dan Plato is not in touch with the community. He doesn’t know what the issues are and was the wrong man for the job. Plato’s attitude towards the community stinks. Helen Zille should remove him from her cabinet.

“We are tired. Every time (the) government tells us to partner with them but they do nothing. The government must come to the party. Stop talking. We need action.”

Plato today refused to comment about calls for him to quit. He said he was “misunderstood” when he told residents not to get emotional.

“There were claims made about them reporting these matters to my office and I told them not to get emotional about it.”

He said it was not his duty to get rid of drug dealers, but the duty of the police and Lamoer.

“... My job is that of oversight. I cannot instruct and give the provincial commissioner orders. I can only facilitate to try to get rid of the problem,” said Plato

He said he would meet with Mitchells Plain residents soon to listen to their complaints.

“The only way we are going to get rid of the drug problem in the Western Cape is by going after the high-flyers... but the police will have to spearhead that initiative,” he said.

Also at the discussion was Carol Mentor, whose 31-year-old son is addicted to heroin. She said more than 70 children in her street in Beacon Valley were using drugs, while drug dealers were “coining it”.

“The parents are suffering, but the authorities don’t care,” she said. “They only care about their seats in Parliament and their positions. The police and ministers must start doing their jobs. We want these tik

houses closed in Beacon valley and across Mitchells Plain.”

Beacon Valley ward councillor the Edwin Andrews said: “These drug dens are strategically

Lamoer said police would follow up on every complaint and tip-off from residents.

During the radio discussion, Lamoer said police had seized R7.9 billion worth of drugs in nine months in the province.

Regarding Plato’s call for the police to reinstate the dedicated drug and gang units, Lamoer said: “There are no plans to do that. We have the organised crime unit and the Hawks, who are doing a sterling job. There are sufficient units in place to deal with these problems.”

Provincial police spokesman Andre Traut said the allegation that police weren’t doing anything about known drug dens was unfair.

“... Drug-related crimes enjoy an extremely high priority with the Western Cape police.” He said this was born out by the regular and recent drug busts and countless arrests. – Additional Reporting by Murray Williams

- Cape Argus

Policeman arrested for drunken driving

A Mitchells Plain policeman was arrested for drunken driving after he crashed his vehicle, Western Cape police said on Saturday.

Captain FC van Wyk said an unmarked Mitchells Plain police vehicle had crashed into an Opel Corsa bakkie in Vanguard Drive, Weltevreden Valley on Friday.

The driver of the police vehicle, a 26-year-old constable, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.

He was released on R500 bail and would appear in the Mitchells Plain Magistrate's Court on July 11. (from News24)

More heat on Cape’s drunk drivers

Western Cape transport authorities are set to open two more alcohol testing “Shadow” centres in the province to intensify their campaign to get drunk drivers off the roads and behind bars.

The centres, in Worcester and either Vredenburg or Cape Town’s northern suburbs, are set to open in a few months’ time, the Department of Transport and Public Works has confirmed.

This will bring to four the number of Safely Home Anti-Drunk-driving Operations War Room (Shadow) facilities in the Western Cape. The new centres are expected to “mirror” the state-of-the-art detention and testing centre in Athlone and will be built in partnership with SA Breweries (SAB).

Suspected drunk drivers are taken to the centres to measure their breath alcohol content. If tested at above 0.24mg of alcohol per 1 000ml of breath, the person is arrested, sent for blood tests, and detained.

The first centre was opened along Vanguard Drive in Athlone two years ago. A year later, Transport and Public Works MEC Robin Carlisle opened the second in George.

The Shadow centre in Worcester was almost complete, and officials were still determining whether to build the fourth centre in Vredenburg on the West Coast or in the northern suburbs, said Carlisle.

“We are discussing the location with the SAPS and other law enforcement units, because it’s them who bring in the most drunk drivers.

“The centres are very expensive - they cost between R2.5 million and R3m - but they are necessary to get drunk drivers off the roads. The psychological impact on the driver is enormous. The centre has a restraining impact on drivers.”

Provincial traffic chief Kenny Africa said there was a definite need for more Shadow centres, especially after the Western Cape “became known nationally” as the province with the highest number of drunk drivers in the country.

“This is the reality of the situation, and it’s killing innocent pedestrians and motorists every month,” said Africa. “We arrest drunk drivers across the province every week. We need these facilities in the Boland, the West Coast and the northern suburbs.”

Africa said drunk driving had become “an illness” in the Western Cape.

“We are fighting this evil every weekend. People are simply not listening. But the message is clear: we won’t take any nonsense. If you are drunk, we will arrest you.”

Since December 2009, 8 669 suspected drunk drivers have been tested at the centre in Athlone and 468 at the centre in George.

And despite no final ruling on the use of the Dräger breathalyser, tests using the device would continue at the centres across the province, said Carlisle.

Last month, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said it was confident that the Dräger would pass legal muster in the Western Cape High Court, despite its decision to have all drunk driving cases involving the device provisionally withdrawn or postponed.

The case is to be heard on July 28.

Western Cape NPA spokesman Eric Ntabazalila said all cases on the roll involving the device would be provisionally withdrawn and newer ones postponed.

The NPA’s decision followed a ruling in the Durban Magistrate’s Court that cleared a suspected drunk driver who was tested on the device.

But Carlisle warned suspected drunk drivers that the NPA’s decision to postpone their cases did not mean that they were “off the hook for long”.

“When we win that case in the Cape High Court, the NPA will then bring all those cases back on to the roll,” he said.

“We are confident that we are going to win that case. There is nothing we have heard so far in the court case that worries us. But if we don’t win it, we are going to appeal the decision all the way to the Constitutional Court.”

Clifford Joseph Hendricks, 27, of Kewtown, who is at the centre of the case, was arrested on January 23 last year for alleged drunk driving.

It previously emerged in court that Hendricks had been taken to the Shadow centre in Athlone and tested with a Dräger. It measured the concentration of alcohol in his breath as 0.95mg/1 000ml, nearly four times the legal limit.

Hendricks pleaded not guilty and is now contesting the efficacy of the instrument.

The city’s mayoral committee member for safety and security, JP Smith, said he supported the Shadow centre initiative “100 percent”.

“We want the Shadow centre in Athlone to run at full steam. Not much is happening there now because of the Dräger case. We support Dräger and want it to be used. Waiting for blood test results takes too long. The Dräger is reliable enough.” (From IOL)

Drinking responsibly

More Cannabis arrests...

Two men were arrested by police on Tuesday while transporting a large consignment of dagga in a truck on the N1 between Colesberg and Bloemfontein, Northern Cape police said. "The police, in conjunction with the local traffic department, responded to a tip-off by pouncing on the suspects around 02:00," said spokesperson Mashay Gamieldien.

She said police searched the truck and found sixteen bags of dagga with an estimated street value of R2.57m, which were hidden in the front trailer of the vehicle.

The men were aged 34 and 35.

"We suspect the dagga was destined for Cape Town, and it was seized by the police together with the truck," Gamieldien said.

Meanwhile police in De Aar arrested a 19-year-old man for possession of 17 packets of dagga with an estimated street value of R238 000.

A 51-year-old man was also arrested after the police found dagga with an estimated street value of R38 500 in his possession. (from News24)

Ban on alcohol advertising "no matter what"

A complete ban on alcohol advertising will result in a total loss of revenue, including sponsorship, sports development leveraging, events and below the line activities, of R2.6 billion, a preliminary impact study has found.

The actual impact on alcohol abuse would be negligible, independent marketing analyst Chris Moerdyk said in a statement today.

Loss of above the line advertising revenue for the mass media would be R1.8 billion.

The SABC would lose about R400 million, Dstv and e.tv combined about R500 million, and radio, lifestyle magazines, and newspapers the balance.

Another impact on the mass media industry would be job losses of about 2500 – mainly low earner employees in the print and out of home (outdoor) sectors, as well as sports marketing and management companies.

However, many media companies believed the figure of 2 500 was too low, Moerdyk said.

The impact on the alcohol industry itself would be a short-term drop in branded liquor consumption of between five and eight percent, but this would
recover in the medium-term due to direct marketing.

“Brand leaders would, in fact, benefit from an advertising ban by increasing market share at the expense of lesser placed brands.”

The impact on dependants of retrenched employees would result in approximately 30 000 people losing their breadwinners due to the high number of dependants per breadwinner in the lower ranks of the workforces, in particularly the print and out of home industries.

The impact on alcohol abuse would be negligible, Moerdyk said.

Precedents in Canada, Denmark, and New Zealand found no evidence of reducing alcohol abuse – which resulted in bans on alcohol advertising being lifted.

The impact on substance abuse in poorer areas would also be negligible due to alcohol and substance abuse emanating mainly from non-branded liquor products such as home brews and methylated spirits as well as, glue, tik, and other substances.

Regarding the impact on the South African fiscus, Moerdyk said a study was still underway by an independent accountancy firm.

However, one example would be the loss of VAT on about R2 billion of the R2.6 billion, due to advertising budgets being allocated directly to the bottom line in most liquor firms. VAT loss would be some R280 million.

An unintended consequence of a ban on alcohol advertising would be increasing pressure from within South Africa and the World Health Organisation (WHO) to ban fast food advertising.

The WHO had identified obesity as the biggest global health hazard.

It would be difficult for government to justify banning alcohol advertising without banning fast food advertising, the impact of which would be a further 3 000 job losses in the media and marketing industries.

The impact on television programming would be two-fold. Firstly, the inability to purchase sports programming from overseas due to a loss of revenue, and secondly, the inability to broadcast sports and lifestyle programming containing embedded liquor sponsorship or branded content.

“Given the role advertising leveraging plays in liquor industry-sponsored sports development projects, these projects would more than likely be curtailed or abandoned should the liquor industry not be able to derive any added value benefit.”

Further, liquor industry sponsored Drink/Drive advertising campaigns at Easter and Christmas could be severely compromised should liquor industry sponsors not be able to “brand” these campaigns.

South Africa’s potential to host international sporting and commercial events and exhibitions would also be compromised should any of these events have a global liquor sponsor, such as Budweiser for the 2010 World Cup, Moerdyk said. (From IOL)