Police stop sale of liquor at Café de Flore

MBABANE – Operation ‘Tjwala Kute’ (No booze) struck the famous Cafe de Flore Club for the second time in two weeks as police forced the club to stop the sale of alcohol on Sunday morning at 2am.

Towards the weekend the police force, through its Spokesperson Superintendent Vusi Masuku, announced its campaign to make sure liquor was not sold after midnight. Revellers at the club tasted, firsthand, what the police force really meant.

The revellers sobered up to the news that police had, as promised, shut down the sale of alcohol at the nightspot immediately after 2am. The difference with last time is that they communicated their intention to shut down the club to its management, not in full view of the patrons.

“I was shocked to learn that I would not be getting any of my favourite drinks. This came as a surprise especially because we had anticipated that they would close shop as soon as midnight. But why do they prefer to confuse only the Cafe de Flore operations, this is not fair,” said a reveller only identified as Mandla.

Other entertainment outlets mainly the Royal Swazi Sun, Tum’s George Hotel and Tinkers Club reported no visits from the police. Compliance to the legislation (Liquor Licence Act) was advanced by almost all the other outlets.

Royal Swazi Sun’s Sphesihle said as a casino they operated under a 24-hour liquor licence hence the barren visit by the force. Tum’s George Hotel Food and Beverages controller Maureen Dlamini also reported no visits by the police. She, however, clarified that the hotel’s liquor licence permitted them to operate till midnight.
“We close between 11pm and midnight as our licence depicts. We were not visited by the police over the weekend,” said Dlamini.

Masuku disclosed as per his promise that a full report with regard to the liquor act violators will be issued yesterday (Monday).
He said two wine and malt bars in Manzini were charged for failing to comply with conditions of the Liquor Licence Act.
He also said five night clubs were monitored and only one was issued with strict orders to stop the sale of alcohol, as it was operating beyond the jurisdiction of its licence.
“One night club was issued with orders to stop the sale of liquor while the other four were found to be compliant with the law,” said Masuku.

Swazi Boy and Café de Flore’s Shadow Zwane could not deny or confirm the matter; he only wondered as to what the police did to the other entertainment outlets, mainly the Royal Swazi.
“Have the police ordered Royal Swazi Sun to stop the sale of alcohol over the weekend?,” he wondered.

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