The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape urges the provincial government to make use of the opportunity provided by the upcoming budget to fund the stricter enforcement of provincial liquor laws and to allocate sufficient human capital in the hotspot areas.
We welcome joint efforts that resulted in the closure of 628 unlicensed liquor outlets from October 2025 to March 2026. Shutting down 26 illegal traders each week confirms the great need for decisive action to stop the continued proliferation of illegal establishments in the province.
According to the South African Police Services (SAPS), there are currently 1 818 legal liquor traders in the Northern Cape. Conducting two routine and one surprise inspection at each outlet, as a bare minimum to strengthen the regulation of the provincial liquor industry, would require that at least 5 454 compliance inspections be conducted each year.
Neither the Northern Cape Gambling and Liquor Board nor the Northern Cape Department of Transport, Safety & Liaison have the required capacity to uphold this bare minimum.
We therefore call on the provincial government to allocate financial and human resources to strengthen provincial entities and community structures to help monitor the compliance of liquor outlets. Social crime prevention and enforcement programmes conducted on by the Northern Cape departments of Social Development as well as Transport, Safety & Liaison in conjunction with the Northern Cape Gambling and Liquor Board must incorporate the need to combat alcohol and substance abuse sustainably and effectively.
It is also critical that we restore order so that we can clean up our communities and create safer, socially responsible spaces. For as long as alcohol abuse drives crime in the Northern Cape, the DA will continue to fight for safe, socially responsible regulation of the provincial liquor industry.