ALBERTON, Monday 5 October 2026 — Gauteng will temporarily stop issuing new liquor licences to taverns as part of a wider provincial response to gender-based violence, substance abuse and deadly violence at drinking establishments, Premier Panyaza Lesufi has announced.
Lesufi said the provincial government had concluded that Gauteng already had enough taverns and liquor licences and would no longer approve new tavern licences during the intervention.
The decision follows a mass shooting at a tavern in Wedela, near Carletonville, where 18 people were killed last weekend, and comes as government faces renewed pressure over gender-based violence and femicide.
Lesufi announced the measures at a National Prayer Day and memorial at the Alberton Civic Centre on Sunday.
The event was organised by the ANC Women’s League to remember victims of gender-based violence and femicide.
Lesufi says Gauteng has enough taverns
Lesufi said the provincial government was prepared for opposition to the decision but believed the proliferation of liquor outlets required intervention.
“The taverns and liquor licenses that we have now are enough. No more new liquor licenses in our province,” Lesufi said.
The announcement applies to new licences for taverns.
No announcement has been made that existing tavern licences are being cancelled, and the provincial government has not said that existing licensed establishments must stop trading.
Further administrative details — including how long the moratorium will last, when it formally takes effect and how applications already being processed will be handled — have not yet been published.
The Gauteng Liquor Board administers liquor licensing in the province.
Provincial GBVF council planned
Lesufi also announced plans for a provincial Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Council intended to coordinate organisations working against GBVF.
He said the structure would bring together non-governmental organisations and other groups involved in prevention and victim support.
The province will also continue using its Green Door initiative, which provides places where people affected by gender-based violence can seek immediate shelter and assistance.
The council itself is not an entirely new policy proposal.
In his February State of the Province Address, Lesufi said Gauteng intended to establish a Provincial GBVF Council and reported that 152 Green Doors were already active across the province.
The provincial government said at the time that more than 270,000 households had been reached through its GBVF Brigades Outreach Programme.
Sunday’s announcement places those measures alongside the new liquor-licensing intervention.
Municipalities to implement national directives
Lesufi also said Gauteng municipalities would implement directives announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa as part of the national government’s latest response to gender-based violence and femicide.
Ramaphosa last week announced a series of measures following killings in Kempton Park, including deadlines for government institutions and quarterly monitoring through the Inter-Ministerial Committee and National Council on GBVF.
The first consolidated progress report is expected within 90 days.
Gauteng’s provincial measures therefore form part of a broader government response while also adding a province-specific intervention through liquor licensing.
Liquor regulation already under scrutiny
The announcement comes months after the Gauteng government released a committee of inquiry report identifying serious governance weaknesses at the Gauteng Liquor Board.
The report identified problems including irregular issuing and renewal of licences, weak enforcement, poor record-keeping and allegations of corruption, maladministration and collusion involving officials, inspectors and unregulated consultants.
Economic Development MEC Vuyiswa Ramokgopa released the report in May, saying its publication was intended to improve transparency and public confidence.
The latest moratorium places additional pressure on the provincial administration to explain how existing applications and future licensing policy will be handled.
Taverns under scrutiny after mass shooting
Lesufi linked the intervention partly to substance abuse and the deadly Wedela shooting.
He said the province wanted to prevent a repeat of incidents in which large numbers of people were killed at drinking establishments.
The relationship between alcohol abuse, violent crime and GBVF has also featured prominently in the national government’s latest discussions on violence prevention.
The Gauteng government will now need to translate Sunday’s political announcement into administrative instructions for the Gauteng Liquor Board.
Further details on the duration and scope of the moratorium will determine how extensively it affects prospective tavern operators and pending applications.
