Alcohol ‘primary driver’ of violence, says acting police minister

Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has raised concerns over the prevalence of crime at alcohol-serving establishments, urging a nationwide dialogue on the role of alcohol in society. This comes as recent crime statistics revealed a staggering number of murders linked to liquor outlets in various provinces.

During the release of the quarterly crime statistics from April to June 2026, Cachalia pointed out that 56 murders occurred at liquor establishments in the Eastern Cape, 40 in Gauteng, and a staggering 213 in KwaZulu-Natal. Just two days after the statistics were released, a tragic incident unfolded, with a person shot dead in a KwaMashu tavern.

KZN VIP Unit reported that two men were drinking at a local tavern when an unknown man opened fire, resulting in one victim sustaining critical gunshot wounds and succumbing to his injuries at the scene. The security company emphasized the need for a comprehensive national conversation on the role of alcohol in society.

According to the crime statistics, 5,427 murders took place in the country during the given period, with 1,047 in the Eastern Cape, 1,276 in Gauteng, and 1,179 in KwaZulu-Natal. One particularly alarming incident involved three individuals storming into a Johannesburg tavern, opening fire, and killing five people before being apprehended and charged.

Cachalia highlighted that the senior leadership of the South African Police Service (SAPS) regularly reviews crime patterns every Monday, assessing shifts and changes to determine the effectiveness of resource allocation. The minister stressed that a significant proportion of murders and serious assaults involve individuals who were under the influence of alcohol and subsequently inflicted harm on others, often over trivial disputes.

He concluded by emphasizing that alcohol is a primary catalyst for violence in the country, with violence predominantly occurring during weekends, at night, and in and around liquor outlets, many of which are unlicensed and operate without regulatory oversight. Cachalia noted that a substantial portion of the murder rate is not caused by organized criminals or armed robbers, but rather by ordinary people who are intoxicated and possess access to firearms.