Limpopo police propose midnight alcohol curfew for festive season

Limpopo police deputy commissioner Maj-Gen Jan Scheepers has proposed reinstating the alcohol curfew during the festive season in a bid to tackle the high crime rate.

Scheepers presented his plan at the Limpopo liquor affairs stakeholders engagement session, highlighting the need for stricter regulations to ensure public safety.

In an interview with Newzroom Afrika he said licensed venues would close at midnight instead of 2am or 4am. He also suggested stricter noise control measures to reduce noise pollution.

“As we explore this issue, we must confront a troubling reality: alcohol is the leading contributor to various crimes in Limpopo,” he said.

“The statistics are alarming. Rapes, assaults, murders, domestic violence, child abuse, road fatalities and attempted murders are frequently linked to alcohol consumption, in and outside licensed venues.

“Now is the time to rethink our approach. The amendment of the liquor regulations offers us an opportunity to balance the interests of the business community with the wellbeing of our residents.”

He urged the community to help raise awareness about responsible drinking and support victims of alcohol-related violence.

“We are having a lot of funerals because people are not drinking responsibly. There's also a responsibility on liquor outlets, those who are selling, to make sure they put measures in place to prevent crimes happening on their premises.

“We have law enforcement and we have promised our communities we will ensure they are safe and secure wherever they are so they can enjoy a peaceful festive season. When we conduct our patrols or receive information about outlets [that do not comply], we will act without mercy. We will close those outlets.

“If people are not willing to come to the party and let us all take responsibility, we will deal with them decisively. We will make sure we enforce the law throughout the province. If anybody thinks he or she need not comply with the law, we will deal with that person accordingly.”

These measures were implemented in 2023 and according to Scheepers, last year's operation was successful in saving lives.

“We've seen last year during the curfew that when we forced liquor outlets to close earlier, we saved a lot of lives and we could see that crime was decreasing during that time.

“It's not alcohol in itself that's the problem; it is the way people behave when they use alcohol. If people can drink responsibly and take responsibility for themselves, as well as their family members and friends, we can have a festive season everybody can enjoy.”

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