Liquor - The City of Cape Mayor, Patricia de Lille, poured more than 5000 bottles of alcohol confiscated on beaches this holiday season down the drain at an Ndabeni storage area. The 2600 litres of confiscated alcohol were worth R66000. The haul of alcohol included cases of beer, ciders, brandy and champagne. Liquor is banned on all Cape Town beaches, but people persist in taking their alcohol to drink on beaches or other public spaces. Law enforcement officers will patrol the beaches over the festive season to try and curb the consequences of drinking illegally. The public is encouraged to support legal, liquor licensed businesses to enjoy liquor of their choice. (Article by New Age, edited by LiquorWise)

Liquor Licence Holders - Liquor Licence Holders were surprised by an compliance operation by Liquor Board Inspectors, the The South African Police Service and other liquor law enforcement agencies in the Wallacedene and Bloekombos area of Cape Town to investigate whether liquor traders were complying to the conditions of their liquor licences. Several fines were issued for selling liquor from incorrectly zoned parts of premises and for not having working fire extinguishers. The liquor licence holders were also investigated for serving alcohol to minors, selling alcohol for off-consumption with an on-consumption licence, lapsed licences(when not renewed annually) and the violation of trading hours. 1 700 inspections have been carried out in the Western Cape since April 2011. Fines in excess of R120 000 have been issued. Minister Winde expressed his concern about some liquor outlets which had produced home-made brews (fruit ale). According to him, it is sold cheaper than water. He promised that his department will be investigating all ways possible to stop the production and sale of it. "We are enforcing a zero-tolerance approach, and a further 400 raids are planned for the December and January festive period. In addition, law enforcement will keep a close watch on premises that have already been inspected to ensure that non-compliant behaviour has ceased," said Minister Winde. He acknowledged that liquor is an important income and employment generator for our province, but this must be weighed against its harms. If licensed outlets abide by the rules, we'll see a significant drop in the negative effects of alcohol. We encourage them to get their houses in order now. This December and January, we are ramping up inspections in partnership with SAPS, municipal law enforcement and local CPFs around the province to ensure responsible trading and consumption of alcohol. Through these actions, we are making our communities better together." Chairperson of the Western Cape Liquor Board, Mr Raybin Windvogel, explained that a licence is granted based on an agreement between the Liquor Board, the local community and the liquor trader : "We impose conditions for a reason and when sellers don't obey them, the entire community is affected by increased crime, vehicle crashes, domestic violence and general disorder. We need to guard against these highly damaging effects of alcohol by creating a culture of compliance." If liquor outlets have any queries relating to licensing, they can call LiquorWise on 0861059473.

Liquor Licence Renewal - The Gauteng Liquor Board has called on all Gauteng liquor licence holders to renew their licences. The liquor licence renewal period started on December 1 and licence holders are required to renew their licences. In terms of the Gauteng Liquor Act, licences are renewed annually. Liquor Licence Holders must ensure that they comply with the Gauteng Liquor Act because non-compliance is a punishable offence. The chief director of the liquor licensing office, said traders who continued trading without renewing their licences would be doing so illegally. Liquor Traders who trade without renewing their liquor licences, run the risk of having the businesses closed, their liquor confiscated and being prosecuted. The Liquor Board ensured that their office will be open during festive season to ensure that those liquor traders who want to renew their liquor licences can do so. Liquor Traders in Gauteng have been complaining for more than a year about the cumbersome renewal process which they have to follow when compared to other provinces. The following is a demonstration : Gauteng Liquor Licence Renewal - Collect Renewal Notice personally at Liquor Board - Make payment at FNB Branch - Present proof to Liquor Board Liquor Licence Renewal in most other SA Provinces - Renewal Notice Posted to Licence Holder - Pay per EFT - Keep proof of payment Liquor Traders say it is unreasonably time consuming and expense. (Article in New Age, Edited by LiquorWise)

LiquorWise noted that not all people are enthusiastic about liquor stores! The majority of Arabs are Muslims and form part of one of the cultures in Iraq. Many Muslim Arabs who are conservative in their religious beliefs do not drink alcohol,.

Follow this link to view rioters burn and destroy liquor stores in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region

(Video by Travis Brecher - Article edited by Liquorwise)

When you decide to apply for a liquor licence be sure of the type of business you are going to open. There are different types of liquor licences and each one has their own conditions and regulations. In this article if the business owner has a Hotel Liquor Licence, this does not mean that he may manage a strip club within the Hotel. Visit our website if you have any liquor licence related queries! Two men were arrested for drug possession and another for operating an illegal strip club in Primrose, Ekurhuleni police said on Saturday. Inspector Mveli Nhlapo said police received a tip-off about suspicious activities at a hotel on Friday. "The 40-year-old owner of the hotel was arrested after he was found to be running an illegal strip club in the building," said Nhlapo. The other two men, aged 25 and 40, were found with cocaine and dagga. (Article by News24 – Edited by Liquorwisee)

A policeman, in uniform, forced an an elderly couple from Johannesburg to pay R75 for a meal they say they couldn’t eat at a seafood restaurant in Kwazulu-Natal. They were told to either pay – or be arrested. Legal experts, with whom LiquorWise concurs, say that the SAP should never have been called to settle a civil dispute between the parties. The SAP should only act in case of a possible criminal offence having been committed or threatened to be committed. The KZN Liquor Act does not apply in such cases, but the legislation ruling criminal offences do. The couple said they were “horrified” by the abuse they allegedly received after they had complained about the quality of the food to the management of the Crayfish Inn restaurant in Ramsgate, They were allegedly verbally abused by the managers and were forced to pay for a meal that had been overcooked and dry. The couple, the Stiffs, visited the restaurant three weeks ago while holidaying on the South Coast. “Fran ordered a main course of grilled dorado. However… her dorado was overcooked and dried out.” Stiff claimed the co-owner flew into a temper on hearing their complaints. “He then told my wife and I that regardless of whether we ate the fish or not, we would pay for the fish, which cost around R75.” The couple stood up and headed for the front door but were blocked by another of the restaurant owners. “He pushed me around and told me to go back to my table and pay for what I had ordered. There was nothing I could do as I am 78 and I am on crutches, so I was defenceless,” said Peter Stiff. The owners summoned the police, who told the couple to pay for the meal they had ordered or be arrested. The owners of the Crayfish Inn confirmed they’d called the police after the couple refused to pay for their meal. “Neither the staff nor management laid a hand on the couple,” said manager Johnson Shou. “Neither did we verbally abuse either of them.” Shou said the couple had complained consistently from the moment they sat down. Although she said that the restaurant had attended to every complaint and offered them free meals, they just refused to pay. “If the consumers felt threatened or were abused in any way by the police they can report this to the Independent Complaints Directorate,” said Bianca Coelho Barata of law firm Goldman Judin Inc. Barata urged consumers to report restaurants to the National Consumer Forum should they be unhappy with the treatment they receive. Ramsgate police did not respond to numerous requests for comment. (Article by Independent on Saturday, edited by LiquorWise)

Residents around Gauteng will be spoilt for choice as more township restaurants and other leisure establishments are going the legal route and improving their standards. The Gauteng Liquor Board said that it had noticed an increase of about 50% in the number of restaurants applying for liquor licences in townships like Soweto, Katlehong and Sharpeville. Monga Phaladi, secretary-general of South African Leisure Tourism & Hospitality, said that there was an increase in black people who were legalising their establishments. “Now black establishments want to be legalised and display their licences and health certificates so that they can benefit from tourism,” she said. Phaladi said that the legalisation of establishments led to professionalism and a higher quality of products on offer. She said Tiger Brands had offered cooking courses for a year to 10 emerging restaurants in Ekurhuleni, Tshwane and Johannesburg. Bally Chuene, chairperson of the Gauteng Liquor Board, said they had noted a increase in outlets in the townships. “Our inspectors went to see that equipment like stoves and proper kitchens are there,” he said. Chuene said that they conducted thorough inspections before granting licences. Phaladi called on the government to bring business to restaurants in townships. “We are grateful for the support and funding they give us, like the project with SA Tourism whereby they adopt and market a restaurant, but they need to start utilising township establishments themselves,” she said. Phaladi said that by using these establishments, the government would also be promoting tourism in that area. “Mainly restaurants in heritage sites benefit, but they can come to us and we will tell them about other places,” said Phaladi. (Article by The New Age – Edited by Liquorwise)

At the middle township in Cape May County, learners suspected of being under the influence of alcohol at prom and other school events will soon be subjected to a breath test. That’s according to a draft policy expected to be approved by the Board of Education at a meeting on Thursday, Nov. 17. No one has commented on the “passive breath alcohol sensor device policy” since board members approved its introduction at a meeting in October, Superintendent Michael J. Kopakowski said. In the past, he said, students have shown up to dances intoxicated. The draft policy aims to protect students who are under the influence, other students, staff and community members at events, and it discourages students from using alcohol, according to school officials. This is the first policy of its kind for Middle Township School District, Kopakowski said. “A PBASD [passive breath alcohol sensor device] enables school district staff to check an approximate alcohol level quickly and efficiently without requiring the pupil’s active participation,” according to the draft policy. The handheld device identifies alcohol on a person’s breath and in the air, according to the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association website. Kopakowski described it as similar to a Breathalyzer test. The device would be able to be used before, during and after dances, athletic events, proms, class trips, drama productions, graduation ceremonies and school assemblies, among other school activities and events, according to the draft policy. The draft policy says a principal or another designated person would be given permission to have students be randomly tested, for instance, allowing the testing of every fourth student entering an event. The device could also be used if there’s reason to believe a student is under the influence on school grounds or at a school function, according to the draft policy. If the student is found to be under the influence of alcohol, another screening would be done, according to the draft policy. If the student fails the test again, the incident would be reported to the principal or designated person and the school nurse or the school physician, the draft policy reads. Supervisor of security Scott Webster would also be consulted in the device that’s chosen, Kopakowski said. Kopakowski did not know how much the device would cost. Also at tonight's meeting, the school board is set to vote on a policy on electronic communication and recording devices, including cell phones. Kopakowski said this policy is mandated by the state and would revise a policy the district has in place. “In the old days, you couldn’t bring anything [to school],” he said. That antiquated, one-page policy is not being followed. Kopakowski said he sees students at school usingcell phones. So are adults who work at the school, himself included, he said. He said he doesn’t want to ban students from being allowed to have cell phones in school. He also pointed out that parents want to be able to keep in touch with their child. So, the policy, in draft form, says it would permit cell phones in the schools, but the devices cannot be turned on and should not be used during instructional time or during a school activity. However, students would be able to use cell phones during lunch and extracurricular activities. Students could also use cell phones in emergencies, he said, and also if permission is granted by a school staff member. Kopakowski said teachers are also encouraged to put smartphones to use in the classroom in an educational way. (Article by Shore News Today, edited by LiquorWise)

The Moratorium The moratorium (six month-ban) on the issuing of liquor licences in Gauteng was instituted unilaterally by MEC Mahlangu on 8 August 2011. Considering that Gauteng is the economic hub of South Africa (producing some 70% of its GDP), many businesses reacted to the news as an April’s Fool joke. They quickly realised that April had long gone! The province’s liquor board’s doors were shut to licence applications and according to Gauteng’s director of liquor Max Mothlake, they were to stay shut until well into 2012. Why a Moratorium? The Liquor Board wanted to use the moratorium to end the backlog of pending licence applications. The other big factor was that the corruption game at the board was fake licences. “If falsified licences weren’t being printed by corrupt staff internally they were being printed externally in collusion with staff members,” says Mothlake, who in March was charged with fixing the shambles. Reaction from Government MEC Mahlangu apologised for the “unforeseen” result of the moratorium on the Classic Government radio programme. She indicated that the necessity of the moratorium will be reviewed in October 2011. Reaction from Business Mr Brett Dungan(Fedhasa CEO) requested that burocratic hindrances be removed to allow business to grow. Less business activity means less tax, which impairs government (including The Liquor Board) from doing its job. Was (is) it Legal? The Application to Court Two separate applications were submitted and argued during September 2011 in the North Gauteng High Court in an effort to declare the moratorium illegal. Regrettably for business, they were unsuccessful by reason of technical legalities. However, this was enough to stop any further costly challenges by business. Effect on Business In General The applicants to court presented evidence of estimates that they will lose up to R350 000 per month due to the moratorium. This is due to the loss of liquor sales, as well as the public supporting licensed restaurants. The Moratorium has also brought development in Gauteng’s hospitality market to a halt. Sales of businesses involving liquor licences are frozen and opening of new establishments halted. Some active businesses have been waiting two years for their permanent licences. All functions requiring a temporary liquor licence (“occasional permit”) will not be able to serve liquor. Pretoria University’s annual spring day festival was cancelled because the organisers could not secure a liquor licence. Franchise Groups Keg Franchise - Food and restaurant franchise conglomerate Famous Brands’ efforts to revamp its Keg pub brand have been stymied by the Gauteng Liquor Board’s decision to freeze all new liquor licence applications until next year. Famous Brands bought 28 Keg and five McGinty’s franchised outlets from Kingco in late 2010 in a R27m deal that added a leisure component to the company’s mainly fast food offering. At the time Famous brands conceded the Keg brand needed “renovation and innovation”, but plans for a revamp have been put on hold. Famous Brands CEO Kevin Hedderwick says a newly re-branded Keg in Johannesburg’s northern suburbs, which is central to plans to convince franchise holders to convert to a new trading format, cannot open its doors until the board lifts the moratorium on applications for new liquor licences. Hedderwick says developments are most frustrating. “We’d love to show our franchisees how good the new look for the Keg is ... We wanted to show them where the new brand is headed.” Instead Famous Brands is lumped with a lease that has to be serviced and has incurred development costs with no way of generating cash flows. Hedderwick is hopeful the board will reopen applications in early February. However, the end of the moratorium in early February will begin with a phased reopening of licence applications — which means it might still be a long wait before first round is called in the new-look Keg. Spur Franchise group - “We planned to open up to 10 restaurants each with 60 staff before the end of the year,” says Spur Corp MD Pierre van Tonder. “Without liquor licences it’s impossible.” SAB Miller - Egoli region GM Leonard Volschenk says Gauteng liquor board estimates suggest there are 10000 fraudulent liquor licences in the province. About 15000 legitimate licences have been issued. Volschenk points to the problem SAB faces in supplying liquor outlets with suspect licences. “Only the liquor board [can] confirm whether a licence is valid and it has been unwilling to engage in a verification process,” he says. Some light on the Liquor Licensing Horizon ? The sixth-month liquor licence moratorium on temporary(occasional) liquor licences is to be lifted from 17 November. The moratorium on new liquor licences remains in place, economic development MEC Qedani Mahlangu told reporters on 15 November. She said stringent measures had been introduced to curb the issuing of fraudulent licences. The Moratorium had allowed the department to improve its efficiency and to solve problems relating to the liquor licensing process. These included the issuing of fraudulent documents. “Stringent measures have been introduced to curb the issuing of fraudulent licences [and] to date we are confident that no fraudulent licences have been issued,” Mahlangu said. The department was about halfway through dealing with a backlog of about 2450 applications. A new IT and business processing system had been designed to handle applications and would be in place for occasional and catering permits from Thursday. She said liquor licence renewals for 2011/12 would begin on 1 December 2011. Don’t get too excited Businesses hoping for normality to be restored next February 8 should prepare themselves for more frustration. The moratorium’s end will not result in the liquor board’s doors being opened in a business-as-usual way. It will be a phased reopening. “We don’t want to be flooded by an unmanageable volume of applications,” says Mothlake Have the floodgates been opened? The question on many people’s lips are whether the success enjoyed by the Gauteng Liquor Board now sets a precedent for any of the remaining 8 provinces to follow suit? The answer wasn’t long to be forthcoming – North West province announced a moratorium on tavern licence applications soon after the moratorium was unsuccessfully challenged in the Gauteng High Court. All have gone quiet from the other provinces for now, but don’t be surprised if the silence doesn’t last very long – the new Western Cape Liquor Act and the Kwazulu Natal Liquor Act will be implemented in 2012. Watch this space!

A spokesperson for the Gauteng Economic Development MEC, Qedani Mahlangu, at an Economic Development Portfolio Committee meeting in the Gauteng Legislature on Friday last week, let slip that the moratorium placed by the MEC on the issuing of liquor licenses, will be lifted ahead of the six months originally envisaged. All role players in the hospitality industry will welcome the end to this unpopular, unilateral and probably illegal ban. It will be a welcome boost for the tourism industry ahead of the December holiday period. We will have to wait to see which changes were implemented at the Liquor Board in order to stop corruption, which was one of the main reasons given for the announcement of the moratorium. We will have to see what the full details of the lifting of the moratorium are before getting overly optimistic. LiquorWise will keep the public up to date. Visit the LiquorWise Website - the most comprehensive liquor licensing website in South Africa (and more is still to come ..!!)

A dark green Nissan Pathfinder crashed through the front of Cherri Plaza Liquors in Glendale, Colorado on Saturday afternoon (5.11.2011). Glendale Police Captain Victor Ross said the woman was backing the SUV out of her parking spot in a strip mall at the intersection of East Mississippi Avenue and South Cherry Street just after 3 p.m when she hit another car. The 46-year-old Denver woman told police she was so startled, her foot slipped and got stuck on the gas pedal. The store’s owner was the only person inside the business at the time of the crash. He escaped being hit by only about 2 feet. Denver Assistant Fire Chief Michael Tealer said that the Pathfinder hit a space heater set up inside the store, igniting a small fire. Crews were able to put out the flames quickly. The driver of the SUV was not injured. Ross said she was ticketed for careless driving. Drugs and alcohol were not believed to be factors in the crash. While there was significant damage to the front of the store, Tealer said there was no structural damage. The store’s owner said this is the second time his store has been hit in the last few months. (The Denver Channel article, edited by Liquorwise)

FOUR illegal shebeens in East London were closed down and liquor valued at R41000 confiscated in a three-day blitz by police working with officials from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Eastern Cape Liquor Board (ECLB). South African Police Services and Buffalo City Metro enforcement officials closed down and arrested the owners of illegal shebeens in West Bank, Reeston and Nompumelelo. “There are a number of liquor outlets that are targeted for these operations and we are planning on catching them off guard,” liquor board spokeswoman Nandi Sondati said. She said there were many illegal shebeens but they were difficult to take action against because the owners were sometimes tipped off before the operations. DTI director of legal support and prosecutions in the national liquor authority Sandile Nkosi said the blitz was the start of operations ahead of the festive season. He said liquor outlets would be visited to look at licence holders and detect unlicensed people trading in liquor.“They should comply with the licence conditions and they shouldn’t sell and supply liquor to minors. We are also looking at their structures to see if they are suitable for trading in liquor. He said this was a national programme that ran across the country. “This is a start for the Eastern Cape and we will go through all the districts.” Senior inspector at ECLB Ndaba Qinisile said there were a number of illegal taverns in the province that created problems. (Article by Dispatch Online – Edited by Liquorwise)

The State Line Store in Marydel received a 7-day suspension and a $1,000 fine from the Caroline County Board of License Commissioners during a Wednesday hearing. The board voted to suspend State Line's liquor license for being caught selling alcohol to an under-aged customer for the fourth time since May 2007. The Caroline County Sheriff's Office conducted under-age sting operations for three days in August and three days in September. Owner Jeff Harris and license holder Veronica Deford testified in their defense along with their attorney Dennis Farina for an alleged violation that occurred on Sept. 22. That violation was dismissed when it was determined that no legal transaction had occurred involving the under-aged police cadet and the store. However, Harris admitted to a violation on August 12. Harris explained various methods the store has used to cut down on violations, and its effort to train employees, but he said it was not possible to monitor the clerks at all times. The store uses "mystery shoppers" that appear under-age to check on whether or not clerks ask for ID. A list of "mystery shoppers" was presented to the board. The shop also has software on its cash register reminding clerks to ask for ID during each purchase of cigarettes or alcohol. Harris said any clerk that fails to check the ID on anyone not obviously of legal age is instantly "let go." "Even when someone in supervision is there, they may be doing paperwork, stocking and other work," said Harris. "It happens so fast." (Stardem article, edited by LiquorWise)