Note to Editors: Attached is a soundbite in English from DA MPL, Mike Moriarty.
The Gauteng Liquor Board (GLB) has a severe backlog in issuing licences and renewals that will lead to job losses. It is also an opportunity for corruption to take place.
Applicants have, in some cases, gone to court to get their applications processed. In each case, the GLB has lost
While many liquor businesses may shut down, others will choose to trade illegally, leading to more unemployment and social risks from illicit traders.
This situation has been worsened by the recent announcement that the annual fees for liquor licences will increase.
Furthermore, the GLB staff stationed at the Johannesburg offices has been moved to the offices in Germiston, which are severely overcrowded. They are working on in shifts because the Germiston offices cannot accommodate all of them. This is also affecting the issuing and renewal of licences as it will be costly to travel to Germiston to access these services.
The backlog has been a challenge for years; it has been made worse by the ongoing issues with the supplier, resulting in the GLB being unable to issue official annual renewal certificates.
To address the alleged corruption issues within the GLB, Gauteng MEC for Economic Development, Lebogang Maile, initiated a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the allegations.
We are aware that the Commission has completed its work and has handed over the report to the MEC. To date, the MEC remains with the report. We question whether the MEC is protecting someone, and we suspect corruption.
In response to his action, the DA has submitted a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) application to compel MEC Maile to release the findings of the commissioned report into administrative failures, corruption, and unlawful conduct within the GLB.
If MEC Maile has nothing to hide and is serious about rooting out corruption at the GLB, he would immediately make the report available and implement the commission’s recommendations as a matter of urgency.
Liquor traders contribute to the economy and job creation, and with the current challenges they face, the number of jobs they can create will dwindle.
A DA Gauteng-led provincial government would immediately make the commission’s report public. We would act on the recommendations made in the report. We would also fix the GLB offices in the Johannesburg CBD, are central to operational efficiency, and assist with the current backlog in issuing liquor licences. Yes, this can be done!