Community Safety MEC, Alan Winde, has slammed Police Minister Bheki Cele’s instruction to shut down all illegal and non-compliant shebeens.
Winde said Cele’s order has “fallen flat”, pointing out that there has been no evidence of action since last week.
While speaking at an Imbizo in George last Friday, Cele ordered SAPS officials in the province to shut down all illegal and non-compliant shebeens within the next 48 hours.
Winde said Cele of lacks an understanding of the problems faced by Western Cape residents.
He said Cele’s call was “completely unrealistic and pure politicking”.
“In the first place, this call was completely unrealistic, and pure politicking. It also shows Cele’s complete lack of understanding of the scale of the problem. This is not surprising since the national minister sits in Pretoria, far away from the problems faced by Western Cape residents,” he said.
According to Winde’s office there is an estimated 25,000 illegal shebeens in the Western Cape alone.
“Cele lost the battle against illegal shebeens long ago, which have been allowed to bourgeon unhindered for over a decade. Cele is a sleeping beauty who seems to have woken up one month before the election,” Winde said.
More: IOL