Stakeholders were given time to make submissions regarding new liquor act in Limpopo: MEC

Limpopo’s Economic Development MEC Rodgers Monama says there was ample time for stakeholders in the liquor industry to make submissions about the new legislation around the sale of liquor.

The new regulations, included in the Liquor Act, will reduce trading hours from 2am to midnight.

The legislation comes into effect on the 1st of August. It was first gazetted and open for consultations in 2019.

Monama says while they note the public outcry, other issues emanating from the new legislation will be addressed as they emerge.

“It is only now at the tail end that people are now complaining that they were not consulted, we did not even get a single objection to this act, it is only now and the majority of people that we are meeting, we are explaining to them that the MEC does not have absolute power to change the act but there are some regulations. Other provinces like Western Cape and Gauteng they have since effected some changes more than 15 times, if there are issues that I think are genuine enough that will be beneficial for our stakeholders, we will be able to deal with this matter,” Monama explains.

Meanwhile, Limpopo Artists Movement spokesperson, Mphoza Mashabela says they’re opposed to the new law that regulates the sale of liquor.

“Our request is very clear, we requested the MEC to reverse that legislation. We are even prepared to come up with some programs working with the department, as the artist union, we will work together with the department moving forward but we requested the documents because they were telling us about some act so we are going to engage our legal team to interpret those acts,” Mashabela reiterates.