Response to the judgement in the Johannesburg High Court on 1 November 2017 in the Gauteng Shebeen License Regulations case
The Yeoville Bellevue Ratepayers Association (YBRA) and the Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance (SAAPA) welcome the ruling made by Justice Matojane in the Johannesburg High Court today, 1 November 2017, in favour of the YBRA, represented by Maurice Smithers and one other applicant, Melusi Emmanuel Ncala, who together challenged the validity of the Gauteng Shebeen License Regulations of 2013. The judge ruled that the Regulations are in direct conflict with the stated purpose of the Gauteng Liquor Act No 2 of 2003 and are therefore invalid. The ruling is a victory for democracy and for the right of ordinary community members to have a say in the development and implementation of alcohol policy, especially in situations where they are directly affected, ie in their own neighbourhoods.