Discourses of alcohol: reflections on key issues influencing the regulation of shebeens in Cape Town

Alcohol abuse is linked to a range of negative impacts, and, as a result, government bodies almost always try to restrict access to alcohol, through regulating where and when it can be sold. Cape Town, in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, has a large number of unregulated alcohol outlets (known as shebeens), which have been the target of a number of policy-making and regulation attempts over the past decade. Three current main discourses of alcohol and shebeens in South Africa can be identified: the public health discourse, the economic discourse and the socio-cultural discourse. These competing discourses, particularly the first two, have underpinned processes to develop regulations relating to alcohol and shebeens, such as the Western Cape Provincial Government's new Liquor Act, and the City of Cape Town's new zoning scheme, resulting in incoherent policy-making processes and policies. A more integrated view is needed, which recognizes the social, cultural and economic importance of shebeens and alcohol, but also acknowledges that abuse of alcohol imposes a large burden on the State and society as a whole. More flexible regulations that can be negotiated at the local scale are also required.