Led by the Concerned Tshwane Liquor Traders Association, Mamelodi tavern and pub owners have initiated a door-to-door safety for all campaign to encourage each other to put people’s safety first this festive season.
The association represents hundreds of Tshwane businesspeople who deal in liquor to earn their living. The new campaign seeks to remind liquor traders of their roles and responsibilities in enhancing the safety of their community members. Members of the association will be going door to door again on December 1 to ensure that liquor traders get the message and conduct themselves in a manner that’s constructive and helps the government save lives.
President of the association, Oupa Mthombeni said the awareness campaign is created for various reasons including reminding liquor traders that although the festive season is here, Covid-19 should not be forgotten.”We urged our brothers and sisters who trade in liquor to educate their customers about alcohol abuse and that they do not sell to people who are notorious for abusing alcohol and becoming disruptive when they are under the influence,” said Mthombeni.
The association reminded liquor traders that they must not allow overcrowding and they must make sure there is enough social distancing, all their customers must wear masks and sanitise their hands. The campaign also focused on educating tavern and pub owners about gender-based violence and making sure that they don’t let people who use alcohol and abuse women to have access to alcohol from their businesses.
Additionally, Mthombeni said liquor traders were told that they must look for underage drinkers, who will be trying to drink this festive season, and not sell to them. “Some underage matriculants will be looking to drink to celebrate that they just finished writing their last school exams and as liquor traders, we need to look out for those children,” he concluded.
