The Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance South Africa says that the lack of implementation of government policies and declarations is one of the contributors to the increase in alcohol abuse.
The organisation, in partnership with traditional leaders, held an awareness campaign called Community Alcohol Conservation in Nkomazi under the Mawewe Tribal Authority in Mpumalanga.
The alliance says 100 people die every day due to alcohol-related harm.
Campaign Director Nomcebo Dlamini says alcohol abuse, especially among young people, remains relatively high.
“South Africa is one of the countries that are supposed to be implementing the Safer Initiative and the Global Action Plan when it comes to alcohol. South Africa has unfortunately not implemented that. We have it on paper, but currently we’re not implementing it. And what we are saying as SAPPA, together with the communities that we have engaged with, we are saying there has to be implementation of these beautiful interventions that are still on paper. We need to see them come alive in our communities. We need to see them come alive in our country. We’ve got a National Drug Master Plan, and our understanding is the National Drug Master Plan also now has a chapter that speaks to the issue of alcohol.”
Deputy Chairperson of the National House of Traditional and Khoisan Leaders, Langa Mavuso, says government should deal with the mushrooming of liquor outlets in townships, especially illegal taverns.
“Also, we are calling government and liquor boards, saying that the issuing of and licensing of taverns and shebeens must be regulated so that our children cannot be tempted. You cannot have a tavern next to a school, you cannot have a tavern next to a church so and there are so many taverns in our rural communities, some are licensed, some are not licensed, so we’re calling on government to try and enforce the law.”
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