A man from Klerksdorp, North West, has been hit with a hard fine for selling alcohol in his backyard.
Klerksdorp man caught selling alcohol
At advanced level 3 lockdown, the sale of alcohol, at any establishment, is prohibited. This restriction is enforced at a time where coronavirus (Covid-19) cases are at an all-time high in South Africa, sparking fears of a fierce second wave.
The unidentified man from Meiringspark learned a hard lesson when, on Thursday afternoon, a team of police officers descended on his property with a search warrant.
According to North West police spokesperson Sergeant Amogelang Malwetse, police were tipped off by members of the community on the alleged illicit activity taking place in the property.
While the 49-year-old’s residence operated another business, it was believed that he sold alcohol too. So, upon searching the house, a large consignment of liquor was discovered in the man’s backyard.
“The police acted swiftly following a tip-off about lots of liquor being sold and stored in the backyard of business operating for a different purpose,” Sgt Malwetse said in a statement.
A slap on the wrist for contravening lockdown rules
The discovery of the alcohol was not a contravention of the Disaster Management Act since people are generally allowed to store liquor in their homes.
Things went awry for the suspect when it was discovered that he had initially lied about keeping alcohol on the property.
What will happen to the confiscated alcohol?
Subdued by the pressure of the police, the 49-year-old confessed to selling alcohol illegally. He was immediately smacked with an R3 000 fine and the liquor, estimated to hold a street value of R125 000, was confiscated.
The man will not face criminal charges but things may escalate to this point if he continues to trade liquor illegally. The confiscated liquor, on the other hand, will be placed along millions of litres of alcohol scheduled for disposal.