A victim was killed at a tavern shooting. Image: Pixabay
‘Poses a threat’: Call for government to deal with tavern shootings
Tavern shootings are becoming more and more prevalent in South Africa. Liquor traders fear that the scourge poses a threat to the sector.
A victim was killed at a tavern shooting. Image: Pixabay
The National Liquor Traders Association has called on government to deal with the scourge of tavern shooting in the country.
This comes as six people were shot and killed while one was injured at a liquor outlet in Daveyton, Gauteng last weekend. According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), a group of men allegedly opened fire at patrons and the suspects have since been arrested.
LIQUOR TRADERS CONCERNED OVER TAVERN SHOOTINGS
Tavern shootings have dominated both local and international headlines, especially in 2022 where most of the gruesome incidents which have claimed a number of people’s lives were just days or weeks apart.
In an interview with Newzroom Afrika, National Liquor Traders Association spokesperson Lucky Ntimane said they are concerned about the shootings because they pose an existential threat to the survival and existence of the tavern sector.
Ntimane said patrons were not frequenting liquor outlets as it was not safe to walk in the dark because of load shedding and now they will again question whether or not it is safe to go and drink at liquor outlets.
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“So, now we have to deal with them worried about losing their lives at our establishments. Of course that would worry us because we are concerned that we would not have taverns to talk about in the near future if the issue of crime in general is not solved,” he said.
Ntimane said they need to find the underlying causes in the shootings and want to understand what could possibly cause a person to randomly shoot at patrons who are enjoying themselves at an establishment without even attempting to rob them.
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