Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has received widespread criticism for promoting a “taverns of the future” project while having recently stopped issuing liquor licences in the province.
On Tuesday, Lesufi took to X (previously Twitter) to announce that he had been briefed on the project.
He said this envisaged project would bring about change and innovation in the liquor industry.
“Today, we received a full briefing to launch taverns of the future in our communities. The tavern of the future will blow your mind. Thanks to the new Heineken Vision. Exciting times indeed,” the premier tweeted.
However, many South Africans have reacted with anger to the initiative due to the dangers of alcohol in the country, viewed against rampant crime, road accidents and the massacre of patrons of these establishments.
The Gauteng Liquor Traders Association (GLTA) on Wednesday said it was astonished by the premier’s announcement following his recent pronouncement stopping the issuing of liquor licences.
“GLTA had taken notice of the utterances of Premier Panyaza Lesufi on 14 November at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg stating that they have halted issuing of liquor license in an effort to help end the fight against drugs and the sale of illicit goods.
“The honourable premier of Gauteng went on to claim that alcohol is a gateway drug and this is where other and stronger drugs stem from, and is on record that halting of issuing of liquor licenses was to build capacity to monitor compliance of licensed businesses,“ the association said.
It said Lesufi had not consulted the industry when announcing the pause in issuing trading permits.
“GLTA is astonished by the assertion of the premier that they had convened a meeting with ALL liquor organisations in the province within the liquor industry, and that the liquor industry had applauded them on the decision to halt issuing of liquor license. This assertion is unfortunate and untrue.
“We deny categorically that we had agreed on the halt on issuing liquor licences in the province and the claim that the sale of liquor is a gateway to drugs and illicit goods,” the association said.
The EFF condemned Lesufi’s “promotion” of alcohol and alcoholism as a grave concern for the country’s over-indulgence in alcohol.
“The creation of taverns in communities not only promotes alcoholism but also exposes the ANC’s cluelessness in creating jobs and resolving the dire economic situation Gauteng residents find themselves. Worth mentioning, the creation of new taverns is consistent with apartheid spatial planning policy that seeks to further trap black people in a state of hopelessness, drunkenness, and pacification. Taverns serve nothing but to contribute to the high levels of crime in townships,” the EFF in Gauteng said on Wednesday.
Attempts to get comment from Lesufi were unsuccessful at the time of going to print.
The Star
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