Mbalula: SA can't ban alcohol but law on sales must be reviewed

• Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula says "over access" to alcohol needs to end in the country and laws for access reviewed. 
• The officers were responding to a back-up call when they were killed in a head-on collision.
• Mbalula says alcohol problems in the country predate Covid-19. 

Liquor is overly accessible in South Africa and a review of laws surrounding the sale of alcohol is necessary, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula says. 

Mbalula was speaking during his visit to the Tshwane Metropolitan Department (TMPD) offices on Monday following the death of three officers who died after a head-on collision with an alleged drunk driver on Sunday. 

The driver was also killed during the collision which occurred on the N4 between Trans Orange Road and Rebecca Street in Pretoria West. 

Mbalula said alcohol problems were not new in the country, and had been there even before Covid-19 hit the country. 

He said the only thing that had alleviated such incidents from occurring in the past months was because of the lockdown regulations.

"We are a country that cannot ban alcohol. We can’t ban alcohol. We [have] got to allow alcohol to be sold. We have to have strong regulations like in other countries, [where] they take your license away. Like in other countries, you know that once you are [intoxicated] behind the wheel, there are serious consequences," the minister said. 

READ |  Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula 'deeply saddened' by tragic death of three Tshwane metro officers

Mbalula sent his condolences to the families of the traffic officers who died in the line of duty. 

He said he had seen multiple events over the weekend which were as a result of alcohol intake; cars crashing into homes, and drunk law enforcement officers.

The minister added: "This over access of alcohol, [where] we drink from six to six, is over. It must come to an end. At some point people must drink but know that at some point after 22:00 it’s not allowed. You must go home. Whether there is Covid-19, we must review our laws in terms of alcohol access."

Mbalula said the availability of alcohol has been open-ended over the years and created problems.

He promised that Government was working on tightening laws in the future.

News24 previously reported that the officers were responding to a call for back-up after the alleged drunk driver failed to stop after being flagged down by the officers' colleague around 02:00.

The three TMPD officers were in another vehicle in the area when they received the back-up call, with the suspect heading towards them. They died on the scene.  

The alleged drunk driver's female passenger was taken to hospital; and an investigation into the exact cause of the crash is under way. 

- Compiled by Sesona Ngqakamba