Thinking Out the Ballot Box

I think Cape Town is a very well-run city. Helen Zille and the Democratic Alliance are doing a much better job than the ANC, who stole the city through floor-crossing a few years ago because they couldn’t get actual votes.

The blowhards who rule our beloved country bang on about how racist Cape Town is because they voted whites into power, but I don’t think it’s a race thing at all.

And I don’t think it’s all got to do with race when it comes to the ANC either. They don’t want all the money and power for blacks, they want it for themselves.

I truly believe that for the most part the DA are striving to make this city better for the people living in it, even when it comes to the new liquor law.

Unfortunately, I think Taki Amira and the rest of the party poopers spoiling everyone’s fun just don’t have the ability to think out of the box or be even the mildest bit creative.

I’m not really for or against the new law. It just seems pointless.

Sending everyone home early won’t stop drunk drivers – we need more roadblocks and better policing; we need to instil the belief that it is idiotic to sit behind the wheel when you can barely stand.

And it’s certainly not going to help those poor families with an abusive, alcoholic patriarch – if anything they’ll be even more pissed off and prone to violence when they get sent packing because their local’s got to close early.

In the UK, many pubs and clubs blacklist punters who cause trouble or get violent on or around the premises. This Pubwatch scheme works wonders because if you get shitfaced and start a brawl that’s it! You won’t be allowed into any of the participating pubs.

But it is all up to the bars and restaurants to uphold this social responsibility and work together.

A crazy idea that might curb domestic abuse would be to make bottle stores require ID and proof of residence from patrons. All purchases would need to be recorded and regularly checked by the police. Any retailers that sold without recording the customers’ details would need to be fined or shut down.

Domestic abuse recidivists could then be blacklisted and if they’re serious offenders they could be banned from purchasing liquor.

This would also help to get drunk bergies off the streets – no address, no hooch.

The law as it stands isn’t bad at all, but we need to tackle these problems in creative ways, from every angle.

I just feel sorry for all the waiters and bartenders who, after all the crap they’ve had to deal with, might enjoy an after-work drink to unwind, but can’t… because everything’s shut :(