The bustling of the Kwaluseni-UNESWA corridor will soon be a thing of the past as all liquor businesses operating there will be closed.
The ministry of commerce, industry and trade has reportedly issued letters of notice to the business operators informing them about the resolve, and that they should find alternative places where they will operate.
This was revealed by Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Trade Manqoba Khumalo when responding to concerns by members of parliament (MPs) during the ministry’s first quarter performance report debate yesterday. The debate was chaired by the ministry’s portfolio committee Chairperson and Kubuta MP Masiphula Mamba. In January, the ministry issued a statement informing the public about the closure of a liquor outlet that operated opposite UNESWA, and said this decision was informed by complaints from concerned citizens associated with the university as well as the local authorities.
During the debate, the MPs wanted to know how some liquor businesses that operated near the University of Eswatini Kwaluseni Campus were closed while others remained operational. Hosea MP Sifiso Mabuza asked how the ministry selected the liquor outlet whose license was revoked.
“If the reason was that it was too close to a school (UNESWA), then why not close the other outlets that continue operations near the Institute of Development Management (IDM) because it is also along the same route?” asked Mabuza.
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He said children, especially those who are also students at the university, spend their time at the establishment.
“A majority of the students are above 18 years. There are places where liquor outlets still operate near schools,” he submitted. He further asked the minister if anything was being done to assist the business people after closing their businesses. He said some of these took out loans from financial institutions to start the businesses that are later closed by the ministry. Manzini regional MP Thandeka Mavuso wondered why the ministry revoked licenses for liquor businesses operating near schools when officials from the same ministry had conducted site visits before issuing the licenses.
She also asked how the ministry supported the businesspeople after closing their businesses. Maseyisini MP Nokuthula Dlamini added that, “akulalwa futsi kuyabulawana” in the areas where liquor businesses operate in the rural areas. She said she was concerned that there were outlets that were still operational near tertiary institutions and schools.
She was quick to mention that people with this concern were not for the idea of having businesses closed, but wished that the ministry should consider the area where such businesses will operate before a license is issued. Sharing the same sentiments was Mhlambanyatsi MP Dr Bonginkhosi Dlamini who said if the law was used to close the businesses, then it should be uniform.
When responding to the MPs’ concerns, Minister Khumalo explained that the ministry issued liquor licenses if the owner of the land where the business will operate agree to have it there. He said if the same land owner comes back to request the ministry to close the business, the ministry complies. In the areas where MPs said such businesses were not closed yet they are near schools, it meant that they had not formally written to the ministry to make the request. Further, he stated that at Kwaluseni, the ministry had already received letters from concerned members of the public requesting that all outlets be closed.
“There is no favouritism in the case of Kwaluseni liquor businesses. Soon no liquor business will operate as we have notified the operators and have given them a grace period to find alternative places to operate their businesses,” said Khumalo. He said the ministry would assist the business operators by expediting the process for them to obtain licenses to operate in the new areas, and further acknowledged that this is a difficult transition.
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