Premier takes aim at shebeens

Western Cape Premier Helen Zille says alcohol abuse is the main cause of the violent crimes which have given Nyanga a bad reputation.

Speaking at a safety summit at the Zolani Community Hall in the township on Saturday she said: “Alcohol drives the rate of violence. That’s a tragic fact.”
She said there should be a clampdown on illegal shebeens.

”In 2010 the police closed down over 100 illegal shebeens in Nyanga over the Christmas period and we got the calmest, quietest and most peaceful Christmas in Nyanga that we’d had in many years. Murder and rape came right down and that showed us the connection between alcohol and violence.”

Conceding that the idea was not a popular one, Zille said the provincial government wanted to make sure people were protected.

“I looked at the statistics of alcohol consumption in South Africa and they are very serious. Alcohol abuse has been repeatedly shown to be the main factor behind violence, irresponsible and reckless behaviour and, ultimately the burden of disease which the public health-care system has to deal with at great cost.”

Zille added that, by using the Western Cape Liquor Act, the province would aim to reduce the number of drinking spots in residential areas.

“We will also be cracking down on distributors and retailers who supply the illegal shebeens operating in our residential communities.”

Zille said the burden of injury associated with alcohol-related road accidents, violence and other trauma, along with illness in the Western Cape, cost the government in the region of R6 billion every year.

“Alongside the roll-out of the Liquor Act, we will also implement the ‘high street model’, thus creating commercial zones where alcohol could then legally be sold and consumed.” (from IOL)

The Premier has finally caught up and identified the drug causing all the problems. The National Drug Master Plans of 1998 and 2006 excluded alcohol from the definition of "drug" and the consequences of this are plain for all to see.  The NDMP's made alcohol is the responsibility of the Department of Trade and Industry and this department has been anything other than responsible or ensured the alcohol industry has behaved responsibly. What does anyone at the Department of Trade and Industry know about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and does anyone care? Brain damaging babies is apparently no big deal. If it were each and every alcoholic product would be labelled "NOT FOR PREGNANT WOMEN", but they're not. In a 1998 study done by FARR 42% of women admitted to drinking while pregnant.  Between 1996 and 2006 SA doubled it's average consumption. A linear projection of FAS would have us at 10%! When one in ten children is born with brain damage the time for drastic action has arrived. The evidence of how many children are currently being born with FAS will unfortunately only manifest itself as the child grows. If you were to take a brainscan of the child you will find its shrivelled up brain. The Premier has remained silent on this tragedy befalling mothers all over the Western Cape.