South African province introduces midnight alcohol curfew to tackle gender-based violence

Liquor purchases after midnight will soon be prohibited in Limpopo as a curfew will be implemented as a result of new liquor rules that the province is adopting, The Citizen reported.

The new alcohol curfew, which will restrict the opening times of places that sell alcohol, known as "Midnight Law" will go into effect on August 1, 2023, according to the Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment, and Tourism.

The new regulations, according to the department, will address societal concerns like gender-based violence (GBV) and community instability. The new legislation promises to enforce rigorous cut-offs for the sale of alcohol, guaranteeing that nightclubs, taverns, shebeens, and restaurants that serve alcoholic beverages close their doors at midnight.

Limpopo Member of the Executive Council (MEC), Rodgers Monama said a large part in the perpetuation of GBV, child abuse, community instability, trauma occurrences, and numerous sexual crimes is played by alcohol.

Monama said that it's crucial to encourage modest home drinking rather than risky nightlife that keeps serving and selling alcohol beyond midnight.

There will undoubtedly be some public pushback, although between April and June 2020, when the stay-at-home order and alcohol ban due to the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in an exceptional reduction in crime. According to crime data, South Africa was a significantly safer place to live during the first quarter of 2020–2021, with significant drops in all crime categories. While gender-based violence and sexual offences drastically decreased during stages 5 and 4 of South Africa's original Covid-19 lockdown.