FEDHASA Cape has urged the City of Cape Town to withdraw its Draft By-law for Liquor Trading Days and Hours, which proposes to significantly cut trading hours of liquor licensed establishments in residential areas.
 
Fedhasa Cape chairman, Phillip Couvaras, says neither the private sector nor industry players were consulted by the city. He says the draft by-law is archaic and will negatively impact on the city’s hospitality industry and the province’s wine industry, create unemployment and tarnish Cape Town’s image as a world-class destination, especially in the run-up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, further impacting negatively on the rest of the province. He says the wording of the draft by-law suggests it will not restrict the consumption of alcohol after trading hours, only the sale of alcohol, which will result in guests either bringing their own alcohol or ordering large quantities in advance, leading to binge drinking.
 
The draft by-law follows the recent promulgation of the Western Cape Liquor Act, which permits municipalities to regulate hours of operation within its jurisdiction. The city says it aims to address public concerns over excessive drinking and public drunkenness in residential areas.
 
The most significant changes proposed include the following:
• B&Bs will be prohibited from selling alcohol.
• Guesthouses, pubs, clubs and theatres in residential areas may trade from 11h00 to 21h00. Those in business nodes and industrial areas may trade until 02h00 the next day.
• Supermarkets with a retail food component will now be able to sell wine from 09h00 to 18h00 from Sunday to Monday.
• Off-consumption establishments i.e. traditional bottle stores will be allowed to trade from Monday to Saturday from 09h00 to 18h00.
• Wine farms, restaurants and guest accommodation in agricultural areas will be able to sell on-consumption from 11h00 to 24h00 and off-consumption from 09h00 to 18h00.
 
The public has until February 27 to comment. A public hearing is scheduled for February 17, when industry role players will be invited to make oral submissions. A final draft will be served before a special Planning & Environmental Portfolio Committee meeting before it is tabled at a Mayoral Committee meeting on March 9 for approval by the City Council at the end of March.