NATIONAL NEWS - A petition containing more than 500 signatures to have two Maraboe Street liquor establishments’ licences revoked, had reached the petition board.
This is according to ward councillor Tracey Lourenco, who said she was informed about this on 13 February by Refiloe Nt’sekhe, MPL and DA constituency head Thembisa.
A public meeting was held two days prior to this about alleged public disturbances caused by Overland Liquors and Perfect Bar & Restaurant.
At the meeting were MMC for community safety Pheladi Mmoko, Col Tobias Strauss, station commander at Norkem Park SAPS, and EMPD Supt Ephrim Ramothata. About 90 community members attended the meeting.
At the meeting, Mmoko said he was not aware of the alleged public disturbances caused by the two establishments.
Lourenco disagreed, saying: “He has been aware of it and has been copied in all correspondence regarding the matter. I even took it up with the city manager and liquor board. There are a lot of unanswered questions.”
It is alleged that customers at Overland Liquors and Perfect Bar & Restaurant drink in public and use illicit substances on the premises.
Mmoko said another meeting had been called with Norkem Park SAPS to address the police’s lack of response to complaints.
MMC for community safety Pheladi Mmoko addressed residents at the community meeting and said a meeting with the liquor board has been arranged. Members of the DA have been invited to join the meeting.
However, Strauss assured the community the police had actively attempted to address these issues. “There was an incident where we questioned the legitimacy of a liquor certificate on the wall of one of these establishments. We were halfway through confiscating the liquor on the premises when we were informed the certificate was legitimate.
“We stopped our operation and were forced to return the confiscated liquor,” Strauss told attendees.
He also mentioned many other attempts by the police to deal with complaints at the Maraboe Street shopping centre, including issuing fines.
“Our issue remains that residents complaining about these establishments have not lodged a complaint at the police station. Without a case docket to investigate the matter we can only do so much law enforcement before breaking the law ourselves.”
Ramothata said metro police officials also conducted an operation at the restaurant, where they confiscated sound systems that proved to be too loud.
MMC Mmoko, however, was not satisfied with police officials’ answer that they could only do so much.
“As a public safety official you are ordered to adhere to the issues of the public which you serve.”
According to the owner of the centre, Mandy Mitchell, it was unacceptable that the police had not taken more aggressive action to address those caught in the act of illicit behaviour on his property.
Mitchell, a lawyer from Pretoria, said: “If those who commit these illegal acts being complained about are caught in the act, police have full right to arrest them.”
He said the leasing contracts of the stores at his centre provided that if a tenant’s business is in conflict with the law, and the court has ruled in favour of a charge, he would immediately cancel the lease.
“Any guilt proven on a charge will effectively breach the leasing contract,” he said.
The MMC assured residents they would work on the matters discussed at the meeting and reconvene with them in the next 30 days.
Col Tobias Strauss told residents how Norkem Park SAPS and EMPD officials had been attempting to address the public disturbance and illicit behaviour at the liquor stores.
Strauss appealed to the community of Maraboe Street to report any case regarding public disturbance, public drinking or the use of illicit substances at these establishments.
Lourenco said a meeting with the liquor board and the MMC had been confirmed and the DA would be present.
A meeting between the liquor board and the school board has also been arranged, where ward councillor Simon Lapping will address matters of liquor establishments being within 500m of schools.
