Gauteng MEC for Economic Development Vuyiswa Ramokgopa has released the long-awaited Gauteng Liquor Board (GLB) Committee of Inquiry Report, revealing widespread governance failures, allegations of corruption and serious weaknesses in the province’s liquor licensing system.
The report, which was officially submitted to the Gauteng Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Economic Development, paints a troubling picture of maladministration within the Gauteng Liquor Board and raises concerns about the proliferation of illegal liquor outlets across the province.
According to the report, the GLB has been plagued by irregular issuing and renewal of liquor licences, poor record-keeping, weak enforcement mechanisms and allegations of collusion involving inspectors, officials and unregulated consultants.
Ramokgopa said the decision to publicly release the report was taken in the interest of transparency, accountability and restoring public confidence in government institutions.
“The Gauteng Liquor Board exists to regulate the liquor industry while balancing economic growth with public health and safety,” the statement said.
One of the report’s most alarming findings is the widespread operation of liquor outlets near schools, places of worship, residential communities and children’s recreational facilities — all in violation of the Gauteng Liquor Act.
The report also highlights severe capacity constraints within the GLB. Fewer than 20 inspectors are reportedly responsible for monitoring more than 33,000 licensed liquor outlets across Gauteng, while authorities estimate that approximately 200,000 illegal outlets are operating outside the regulatory framework.
Ramokgopa acknowledged that weak governance and regulatory failures have undermined the province’s ability to fully benefit from the liquor industry, despite its significant contribution to the economy.
The MEC vowed swift intervention to strengthen compliance, improve revenue collection and ensure that the industry contributes more effectively to economic transformation and social development programmes.
The Department of Economic Development has already begun implementing several recommendations from the inquiry report. These include reviewing suspicious and unlawfully issued licences, modernising and digitising licensing systems, improving consequence management and strengthening coordination with municipalities, the South African Police Service and metro police departments.
Authorities also plan to tighten oversight over inspectors and officials involved in licensing and compliance processes as part of broader efforts to restore integrity and accountability within the Gauteng Liquor Board.
The department further acknowledged longstanding delays in the processing and renewal of liquor licences, saying efforts are underway to stabilise and modernise the licensing environment.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has welcome the release of the report, saying the findings confirm longstanding concerns about corruption, maladministration and weak governance within the regulatory body.
The DA said the report’s findings were “not a surprise,” arguing that the party had for years warned about governance failures, corruption risks and poor enforcement mechanisms at the GLB.
Mike Moriarty, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Economic has urged Ramokgopa to urgently implement the committee’s recommendations to stabilise the GLB and protect jobs linked to the liquor and hospitality sectors.
“We will closely monitor the implementation of the recommendations because the effective functioning of the GLB has a direct impact on Gauteng’s economy, particularly the hospitality industry, which supports thousands of jobs,” Moriarty said.
RISE Mzansi says the release of report by Ramokgopa is a decisive step toward restoring law and order in the province’s liquor industry.
The party’s Chief Organiser Makashule Gana said the report confirmed long-standing concerns about regulatory failures, corruption and the uncontrolled spread of liquor outlets in Gauteng communities.
“For too long, our communities have been under siege by the unregulated proliferation of liquor outlets,” Gana said, adding that residents had experienced what he described as a “complete collapse of regulatory integrity.”
RISE Mzansi further expressed concern that legal protections prohibiting liquor outlets from operating near schools and places of worship were routinely ignored.
Gana stressed that liquor regulation should be viewed as a public health and safety issue rather than merely an economic matter.“The link between outlet saturation and gender-based violence, crime and community decay is undeniable,” he said.