Residents of Khayelitsha, Stellenbosch and the Strand in the Western Cape will get an opportunity to influence South Africa’s future liquor and gambling legislation when they make their inputs on the National Liquor Amendment and Gambling Amendment Bills next week.

The Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) will host three public consultation sessions on the two bills from 12-15 December 2016. The sessions are targeted at all stakeholders and the public in general. The sessions are the last stop of a national roadshow that has already seen the dti criss-crossing the country and visiting communities in all the other eight provinces to gather comments and inputs regarding the two bills.

According to the Acting Deputy Director-General of Consumer and Corporate Regulation at the dti, Mr MacDonald Netshitenzhe, the roadshow seeks to obtain public input on both bills and to conduct education and awareness on the benefits and problems associated with excessive gambling and liquor abuse.

“The two industries affect society both in positive and negative ways, but the negative always outweighs the positives. Government is constitutionally required to involve the public in policy formulation so as to ensure that the laws approved have considered views from all affected,” says Netshitenzhe.

He adds that the dti has since extended the deadline for written submissions and public comments on the National Liquor Amendment Bill for a further two weeks. The closing date is now 15 December 2016. Netshitenzhe says the extension will further give stakeholders an opportunity to provide more valuable inputs.