ID WESTERN CAPE’S RODNEY LENTIT WRITES TO MEC ALAN WINDE ABOUT POSSIBLE VIOLATIONS OF LIQUOR ACT
12 JULY 2010-‘Is Western Cape Liquor Board acting independently of City and Province?’
‘Is Western Cape Liquor Board acting independently of City and
Province?’
Rodney Lentit, the ID Western Cape Provincial Secretary, has written to Alan Winde, the MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism complaining of a possible violation of the Liquor Act by the Western Cape Liquor Board.
Mr Lentit’s letter, which is below, refers to notices of intention for special liquor licenses that have been published in the community newspaper, the TygerBurger.
‘After some research,’ Lentit writes in the letter, ‘we found that the TygerBurger is not distributed in areas such as Wesbank, Kleinvlei, Elsies River and Scottsdene. However, applications for liquor licenses that have been made in these areas were published in the TygerBurger and we have been unable to find any evidence that they were published in any newspapers in the above-mentioned areas.
‘In addition, these notifications are not being advertised in other popular provincial newspapers, which, as you know, many people in the Western Cape read on a daily basis,’ Lentit continues.
‘There are a number of issues of great concern to the Independent Democrats. Firstly, have the residents outside of the TygerBurger circulation area been made aware of, or been informed about these special liquor licenses? Secondly, can alcohol be sold from homes whose neighbours were not in a position to read these advertisements and were therefore unable to go to the Magistrate’s Office to lodge objections against the applications?
‘In addition to these two concerns, the advertisements themselves simply inform readers that wish to raise objections to do so at “the Magistrate’s Office” within 28 days, without saying which magistrate’s office, or even supplying an information telephone number,’ writes Lentit.
‘I am sure you will agree with me that it is extremely worrying that all of these things I have mentioned above give the public the impression that obtaining a liquor license is purely a matter of course and that the feelings of communities in this regard are of no concern whatsoever. I am also sure you will agree that even besides the fact that there are obvious social problems linked to these kinds of establishments being run from people’s homes, at the very least neighbours and the larger community should be at the forefront of such decisions.’
For media enquiries, please call Xanthea Limberg, acting spokesperson for Rodney Lentit, on 073 271 2054
THIS IS MR LENTIT’S LETTER TO THE MEC –
Monday, 12 July 2010
Honourable Winde
MEC of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism
WESTERN CAPE
c.c.:Executive Mayor, Dan Plato
Cllr F Purchase (Mayco member – Economic Development)
Cllr G Pascoe (Mayco member – Social Development)
Cllr B Herron (Mayco member – Community Development)
Cllr C Jordaan (Committee Chairperson – Social Development & ID Chief Whip)
Dear Minister
RE: CONCERN - APPLICATION FOR A LIQUOR LICENCE
It has come to my attention that notices of intention to apply to the Liquor Board of the Western Cape for a special license to sell all types of liquor on premises are being advertised in the community newspaper the TygerBurger.
After some research, we found that the TygerBurger is not distributed in areas such as Wesbank, Kleinvlei, Elsies River and Scottsdene. However, applications for liquor licenses that have been made in these areas were published in the TygerBurger and we have been unable to find any evidence that they were published in any newspapers in the above-mentioned areas. In addition, these notifications are not being advertised in other popular provincial newspapers, which, as you know, many people in the Western Cape read on a daily basis.
There are a number of issues of great concern to the Independent Democrats. Firstly, have the residents outside of the TygerBurger circulation area been made aware of, or been informed about these special liquor licenses? Secondly, can alcohol be sold from homes whose neighbours were not in a position to read these advertisements and were therefore unable to go to the Magistrate’s Office to lodge objections against the applications? In addition to these two concerns, the advertisements themselves simply inform readers that wish to raise objections to do so at “the Magistrate’s Office” within 28 days, without saying which magistrate’s office, or even supplying an information telephone number.
I am sure you will agree with me that it is extremely worrying that all of these things I have mentioned above give the public the impression that obtaining a liquor license is purely a matter of course and that the feelings of communities in this regard are of no concern whatsoever. I am also sure you will agree that even besides the fact that there are obvious social problems linked to these kinds of establishments being run from people’s homes, at the very least neighbours and the larger community should be at the forefront of such decisions.
Furthermore, when I last week approached the Chairperson of the Social Development Portfolio Committee in the City of Cape Town about this issue, I was told that these applications for liquor licenses had not even been discussed by the Committee’s members. Does this mean that the Western Cape Liquor Board is acting independently of City authorities and indeed even the Provincial authorities?
I am sure that as the MEC for Economic Development you will give this matter the attention it deserves and call to task those that would undermine the social fabric of our society.
I look forward to your speedy response in this matter.
Lastly,
In the interests of the people of Cape Town and the Western Cape,
Yours Sincerely,
Rodney Lentit
Western Cape Provincial Secretary (084 313 3355)
ENDS…
Rodney Lentit, the ID Western Cape Provincial Secretary, has written to Alan Winde, the MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism complaining of a possible violation of the Liquor Act by the Western Cape Liquor Board.
Mr Lentit’s letter, which is below, refers to notices of intention for special liquor licenses that have been published in the community newspaper, the TygerBurger.
‘After some research,’ Lentit writes in the letter, ‘we found that the TygerBurger is not distributed in areas such as Wesbank, Kleinvlei, Elsies River and Scottsdene. However, applications for liquor licenses that have been made in these areas were published in the TygerBurger and we have been unable to find any evidence that they were published in any newspapers in the above-mentioned areas.
‘In addition, these notifications are not being advertised in other popular provincial newspapers, which, as you know, many people in the Western Cape read on a daily basis,’ Lentit continues.
‘There are a number of issues of great concern to the Independent Democrats. Firstly, have the residents outside of the TygerBurger circulation area been made aware of, or been informed about these special liquor licenses? Secondly, can alcohol be sold from homes whose neighbours were not in a position to read these advertisements and were therefore unable to go to the Magistrate’s Office to lodge objections against the applications?
‘In addition to these two concerns, the advertisements themselves simply inform readers that wish to raise objections to do so at “the Magistrate’s Office” within 28 days, without saying which magistrate’s office, or even supplying an information telephone number,’ writes Lentit.
‘I am sure you will agree with me that it is extremely worrying that all of these things I have mentioned above give the public the impression that obtaining a liquor license is purely a matter of course and that the feelings of communities in this regard are of no concern whatsoever. I am also sure you will agree that even besides the fact that there are obvious social problems linked to these kinds of establishments being run from people’s homes, at the very least neighbours and the larger community should be at the forefront of such decisions.’
For media enquiries, please call Xanthea Limberg, acting spokesperson for Rodney Lentit, on 073 271 2054
THIS IS MR LENTIT’S LETTER TO THE MEC –
Monday, 12 July 2010
Honourable Winde
MEC of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism
WESTERN CAPE
c.c.:Executive Mayor, Dan Plato
Cllr F Purchase (Mayco member – Economic Development)
Cllr G Pascoe (Mayco member – Social Development)
Cllr B Herron (Mayco member – Community Development)
Cllr C Jordaan (Committee Chairperson – Social Development & ID Chief Whip)
Dear Minister
RE: CONCERN - APPLICATION FOR A LIQUOR LICENCE
It has come to my attention that notices of intention to apply to the Liquor Board of the Western Cape for a special license to sell all types of liquor on premises are being advertised in the community newspaper the TygerBurger.
After some research, we found that the TygerBurger is not distributed in areas such as Wesbank, Kleinvlei, Elsies River and Scottsdene. However, applications for liquor licenses that have been made in these areas were published in the TygerBurger and we have been unable to find any evidence that they were published in any newspapers in the above-mentioned areas. In addition, these notifications are not being advertised in other popular provincial newspapers, which, as you know, many people in the Western Cape read on a daily basis.
There are a number of issues of great concern to the Independent Democrats. Firstly, have the residents outside of the TygerBurger circulation area been made aware of, or been informed about these special liquor licenses? Secondly, can alcohol be sold from homes whose neighbours were not in a position to read these advertisements and were therefore unable to go to the Magistrate’s Office to lodge objections against the applications? In addition to these two concerns, the advertisements themselves simply inform readers that wish to raise objections to do so at “the Magistrate’s Office” within 28 days, without saying which magistrate’s office, or even supplying an information telephone number.
I am sure you will agree with me that it is extremely worrying that all of these things I have mentioned above give the public the impression that obtaining a liquor license is purely a matter of course and that the feelings of communities in this regard are of no concern whatsoever. I am also sure you will agree that even besides the fact that there are obvious social problems linked to these kinds of establishments being run from people’s homes, at the very least neighbours and the larger community should be at the forefront of such decisions.
Furthermore, when I last week approached the Chairperson of the Social Development Portfolio Committee in the City of Cape Town about this issue, I was told that these applications for liquor licenses had not even been discussed by the Committee’s members. Does this mean that the Western Cape Liquor Board is acting independently of City authorities and indeed even the Provincial authorities?
I am sure that as the MEC for Economic Development you will give this matter the attention it deserves and call to task those that would undermine the social fabric of our society.
I look forward to your speedy response in this matter.
Lastly,
In the interests of the people of Cape Town and the Western Cape,
Yours Sincerely,
Rodney Lentit
Western Cape Provincial Secretary (084 313 3355)
ENDS…
