Licence holders and law enforcement agencies in Gauteng are in limbo following the Gauteng Liquor Board’s (GLB) announcement that it is currently unable to issue official annual renewal certificates due to ongoing supplier challenges. If restaurants and other hospitality businesses lose money through loss of customers they will be forced to close, causing job losses. The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng will file a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) application to compel the Economic Development MEC, Lebogang Maile, to release the findings of the commissioned report into administrative failures, corruption and unlawful conduct within the GLB.
Applicants are resorting to Court actions. The GLB is losing cases time after time and taxpayers’ money is wasted in the process.
It is unacceptable that the GLB is unable to execute its mandate as stipulated in the Gauteng Liquor Act No. 2 of 2003, which requires that every liquor licence be renewed annually within twelve months from the date of issue, upon payment of the prescribed annual renewal fee.
This administrative failure exposes MEC Maile’s failure to provide leadership and hold this department accountable.
Despite being aware of the administrative challenges at the GLB and even establishing a Commission of Inquiry to investigate corruption and unlawful conduct within the entity, MEC Maile has chosen to sit on the findings of this report. This inaction has allowed incompetence to remain unattended, causing serious inconvenience for those served by the GLB.
MEC Maile must urgently release this report and address the inefficiencies within the entity. Failure to do so only raises suspicion that he has something to hide and may be protecting individuals whose actions are causing harm to license holders and law enforcement agencies.
Moreover, some businesses may decide to operate illegally, which normally involves corruption and bribery, leading to lawlessness, economic harm and further job losses.
But proper leadership can turn the situation around. Yes, this can be done. A DA-led Gauteng Provincial government would have implemented systems to ensure the efficient administrative functioning of this entity and to deal decisively with any form of corruption or misconduct.