Bergriver municipality publishes by-law on liqour trading hours
Thursday, 9 May, 2013
Danie Cronje
Bergriver Municipality published its by-law on liquor trading days and hours on the 12th of April.
The by-law came into operation on said date.
Liquor stores, supermarkets, wine shops and wine estates will be able to sell liquor 09h00 to 20h00 Monday to Friday, from 09h00 to 17h00 on Saturday but not on Sunday.
Businesses with on-consumption liquor licences such as restaurants, guest houses, clubs and hotels will be able to sell liquor from 09h00 to 23h00 in residential areas and from 09h00 to 24h00 in mixed use areas.
In general business areas such businesses will be able to sell liquor from 09h00 to 24h00 from Sunday to Thursday and from 09h00 to 02h00 Friday and Saturday.
In agricultural areas on-consumption licenced premises will be able to sell liquor from 09h00 to 02h00 every day of the week.
According to Danie Cronje, the Director of Liquor Law Services at Cluver Markotter Incorporated, the municipality has not followed the example set by Cape Town and other municipalities by allowing wineries to sell bottled wine on Sundays in the interest of wine tourism.
For special event and temporary liquor licences the by-law prescribes that liquor sales will take place as determined by the liquor licence issued by the Western Cape Liquor Authority.
According to Cronje the Liquor Authority recently indicated that where a municipal by-law is applicable it will not prescribe trading hours for special events or temporary licences. As the the by-law does not do so it is uncertain what trading days and hours are applicable.
This is one of the problems with the interaction between Western Cape Liquor Act and municipal by-laws which will be brought to the attention of M E C for Finance, Economic Affairs and Tourism Mr Allan Winde. He indicated that amendments to the Western Cape Liquor Act are being considered to rectify problems which have been identified to date.