As alcohol abuse continues to contribute to violent crime, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape reiterates our call for stricter regulation of the provincial liquor industry.
Yesterday’s release of the Northern Cape provincial crime statistics for the fourth quarter of the 2025/26 year confirms that crime levels per capita remain high, with increases recorded in attempted murder, commercial crime, and kidnappings. Five provincial stations (Galeshewe, Kimberley, Kakamas, Rosedale, and Upington) rank among the top thirty nationally for attempted murder, with four (Port Nolloth, Upington, Galeshewe and Barkley West) among the top thirty for contact sexual offences.
These statistics emphasise what residents of the Northern Cape know – that we are, by and large, still not safe enough in our homes, our places of work and worship, our schools or our neighbourhood shops.
The premier, the national police minister and the provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Koliswa Otola, all acknowledge that alcohol abuse remains a major factor in crime and yet it seems as if provincial authorities still lack the resources required for effective enforcement. In a discussion with the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature last week, the Northern Cape Gambling and Liquor Board admitted that it lacks the enforcement capacity needed for timely identification and action against non-compliant and illegal operators.
It is critical that we strengthen the Northern Cape Gambling and Liquor Board, the police, the prosecuting authorities, and community organisations so that we can catch and convict non-compliant liquor operators. 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.