Govt to close bottle stores near schools, hospitals and churches

The Government is set to close liquor outlets operating near hospitals, schools, old people’s homes and places of worship, saying such licences are unlawful.

The move forms part of a nationwide inspection programme launched to scrutinise how local authorities are issuing liquor licences, amid concern over the proliferation of bottle stores and the sale of alcohol and drugs to minors.

The National Liquor Inspectorate Programme, implemented by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, will assess whether councils comply with laws and regulations governing liquor licensing.

Ministry permanent secretary Tafadzwa Muguti told Zimpapers in Kadoma on Thursday that the programme will target local authorities that have licensed outlets in inappropriate locations or in excessive numbers.

“Public Works has embarked on a programme called the National Liquor Inspectorate Programme. What we are doing is going from one local authority to local authority, checking on how liquor licences were being issued,” he said.

Muguti said some licences had been issued to premises next to hospitals, schools, old people’s homes and places of worship, contrary to regulations.

He also raised concern over the concentration of outlets in some shopping centres, where bottle stores now outnumber other essential businesses.

“We have liquor licences which have been issued to facilities which are next to hospitals, facilities which are next to schools, facilities which are next to old people’s homes and even places of worship, and this is not allowed,” he said.

The inspections will establish whether due process was followed, with local authorities expected to account for any irregularities.

Muguti said the Government was also reviewing liquor licensing laws to strengthen accountability and curb abuse, particularly amid growing drug and substance abuse among young people.

He said some licensed outlets were allegedly being used to sell illicit drugs and to supply alcohol to minors.

“We are reforming those laws to ensure that they are very strict laws. It is going to be very hard in this country to get a liquor licence because you need to be very accountable for that licence,” he said.

He said inspections would be conducted countrywide and local authorities would be expected to take corrective action where there is a cluster of bottle stores.

“Where we find that there is a clutter of bottle stores, it is not going to be our responsibility to clean it up. The local authority knows the law,” he said.

Muguti called for greater accountability across all tiers of Government, saying councils should not shift blame for regulatory failures to central Government.

“It’s time for every tier of Government to be accountable and not everything to be blamed on central Government,” he said.