Stricter liquor laws will turn us into criminals, say township business owners
Small business owners in townships have expressed strong opposition to the government’s proposed Liquor Amendment Bill and the possible changes to tobacco regulation, saying they are unworkable and will irreparably hamper their business operations. This was the conclusion of a survey conducted by the Gauteng Liquor Forum (GLF), the South African Liquor Traders Association (Salta) and the National Tourism Hospitality Association (NTHA) on 155 spaza, tavern and shebeen, restaurant and bottle store owners operating in townships. The three organisations, which together represent 35,000 small businesses, argue the proposed changes will lead to the immediate and blanket criminalisation of small business owners and informal traders operating in townships across the country. This was also the view of 95% of those interviewed in the survey. The amendments to the Liquor Act propose to raise the legal drinking age from 18 to 21 years, and to make the suppliers of alcohol to an already inebriat...
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