Hundreds marched through Cape Town’s city centre on Wednesday to demand higher alcohol taxes.
- Marchers from Gugulethu, Khayelitsha, Manenberg and Mitchell’s Plain went to Parliament on Wednesday to demand higher taxes on alcohol.
- The march was led by the Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance (SAAPA).
- In their memorandum, the marchers said alcohol tax should not be seen only as revenue but also as a way to prevent violence.
Hundreds of people marched to Parliament on Wednesday, demanding an increase in alcohol taxes.
Led by the Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance (SAAPA), the marchers included civil society organisations, community health workers, neighbourhood watch members and members of community policing forums.
SAAPA’s Odwa Nakani said: “The situation in our communities is dire. We have unlicensed shebeens all over the place. Sometimes you’ll find that one street has five shebeens. Some of these shebeens are located next to schools and churches.”
“Alcohol is a contributing factor to rape, gender-based violence and car accidents. Our children are school dropouts because they chose to give themselves to alcohol.”
“We want government, the Liquor Board in particular, to sit down with us and explain how obtaining a liquor licence works. We want other government spheres as well to meet with us because alcohol also affects health and education. A solution needs to be found,” said Nakani.
Wearing bucket hats on which was written “The true cost of alcohol”, marchers sang loudly as they marched to Parliament. Placards reading “Tax the bottle, fund the future”, “Drink less, live more” and “Alcohol increases GBV in our communities” were waved in the air.
A skit on violence and alcohol was put on display. Pamela Booysen from the Gugulethu Development Forum wore fake bloodied bandages around her head and arm, and Inga Mkalali from the Malmesbury Arts and Culture group pretended to be drunk and to beat up Booysen.
“It is a common occurrence in our communities, where people go out drinking, return home drunk, argue with their spouses and end up beating them. Some unfortunately do not make it out alive,” said Booysen.
“Male breadwinners finish their money on alcohol, leaving their families hungry and struggling.”
Marchers came from Gugulethu, Khayelitsha, Manenberg and Mitchell’s Plain.
Nomisile Maputuka, a neighbourhood watch member from Gugulethu, said she came across many violent crimes involving drunkenness. “In our communities, we even have shebeens that operate 24 hours. At 4 or 5am while patrolling, you get a person on the street, drunk, coming from a shebeen and heading home.”
In their memorandum, the organisations called on Parliament’s Standing Committee on Finance “to champion fiscal policies that protect public health and community wellbeing.”
“Alcohol taxation must not be viewed solely as revenue collection, but as a powerful prevention measure capable of reducing violence, injuries, and long-term health costs.”
“Communities ask that resources generated through alcohol taxation support prevention programmes, youth empowerment initiatives, treatment and recovery services, and community-led solutions.”
The memorandum was accepted by Parliament chamber assistant Gilbert Jood.
Pamela Booysen from the Gugulethu Development Forum and Inga Mkalali from the Malmesbury Arts and Culture group presented a skit on gender-based violence.
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Lack of libraries: Limited access to educational and recreational resources.
domino
Diary of an Englishman after he moves to South Africa….
**August 1**: Just got transferred with work from London, UK to our new home in Phalaborwa, Limpopo, South Africa. Now this is a town that knows how to live! Beautiful, sunny days and warm, balmy evenings. I watched the sunset from a deckchair by our pool yesterday. It was beautiful. I’ve finally found my new home. I love it here.
**September 1:** Really heating up now. It got to 31 today. No problem though. Living in air-conditioned home, driving air-conditioned car. What a pleasure to see the sun every day like this. I’m turning into a sun-worshipper – no blasted rain like back in London! Had the back yard landscaped with tropical plants today. Lots of palms and rocks. No more mowing lawns for me! Another scorcher today, but I love it here. It’s Paradise !
**October 1:** The temperature hasn’t been below 35 all week. How do people get used to this kind of heat? At least today it’s windy though. Keeps the flies off a bit. Acclimatizing is taking longer than we expected. Fell asleep by the pool yesterday. Got third degree burns over 60% of my body. Missed three days off work. What a dumb thing to do. Got to respect the old sun in a climate like this!
**October 25:** This wind is a bastard. It feels like a giant fucking blow dryer. And it’s hot as hell! The home air conditioner is on the blink and the repair man charged R200 just to drive over and tell me he needs to order parts from @#$# Johannesburg. The wife & the kids are complaining.
**October 30:** The temperature’s up around 40 and the parts still haven’t arrived for the fucking air conditioner. House is an oven so we’ve all been sleeping outside by the pool for 3 nights now. Bleeding R4 million house and we can’t even go inside. Why the hell did I ever come here?
**November 4:** Finally got the fucking air-conditioner fixed. It cost R1,500 and gets the temperature down to around 35 degrees. Stupid repairman. Fucking thief. If one more smart bastard says ‘Hot enough for you today?’ I’m going to fucking throttle him. Fucking heat! By the time I get to work, the car radiator is boiling over, my fucking clothes are soaking fucking wet and I smell like baked cat. Fucking place is the end of the Earth.
**November 9:** Tried to run some errands after work, wore shorts, and sat on the black leather upholstery in my car. I thought my fucking backside was on fire. I lost 2 layers of flesh, all the hair on the backs of my legs and off my fucking behind. Now the car smells like burnt hair, fried bum and baked cat. The Weather report might as well be a fucking recording – hot and sunny. Hot and sunny, Hot and fucking sunny. It’s been too hot to do anything for 2 bleeding months and the weatherman says it might really warm up next week. Fuck!!
**November 15:** Doesn’t it ever rain in this darn place? Water restrictions will be next, so my R5,000 worth of palms might just dry up and blow into the fucking pool. The only things that thrive in this hell-hole are the fucking flies. You don’t dare open your mouth for fear of swallowing half a dozen of the little buzzards!
**November 20:** Welcome to HELL! It got to 45 degrees today. Now the air conditioner is gone in my car. The repair man came to fix it and said, ‘Hot enough for you today?’ I wanted to shove the car up his backside. Anyway, had to spend the R2,500 of the mortgage payment to bail me out of jail for assaulting the stupid fool. Fucking PHALABORWA! What kind of sick, demented idiot would want to live here!
**December 1:** WHAT!!!! The FIRST day of Summer!!!!
You are fucking kidding me, right?
Moon Solitaire
Interview with a pirate:
There was a pirate who had agreed to do an interview with a local tv station. The reporter was very courteous and professional, giving a bit of background as to the pirate\’s business. She then began interviewing him.
\”So Mr. Longbeard, are there any risks to your business? I see you have a peg leg- how did that come about?\”
\”Well, y\’see I were sailing along the coast of South Africa, looking to plunder some locals when as I boarded the small boat from the ship, a great white shark came up and got my leg clean off. \’twas scary yes, but thus is the life of a pirate.\”
\”Wow, that is pretty scary- well, how about your hook? What happened to your hand with that?\”
\”Oh now that\’s quite the tale, y\’see I were fighting a rival pirate, and we had locked swords. We had been fighting for a few hours, and were both terribly fatigued. I had a bit of exhaustion and confusion, and when I went to block one of his sword blows, I met him with me hand instead of me sword. Took it right off, but it shocked him so much I managed to get him back pretty good and have him submit. So the hook hand was given as a replacement.\”
\”Wow. Simply fascinating. Now, what about your eye patch? How did that happen?\”
\”Well, one day, a seagull was flying overhead, and I looked up. It pooped right in me eye.\”
\”… Well wow. I must admit, I wouldn\’t think just seagull poop could damage the eye that badly.\”
\”Oh, I forgot to mention… it were me first day with the hook.\”