Eastern Cape High Court Judge Avinash Govindjee has presided over one too many cases of gender-based violence (GBV) triggered by heavy drinking, and he wants policymakers and the public to see the patterns as clearly as they play out in his courtroom. After ruling on two femicide cases this year, Judge Govindjee sent his judgments to the minister of health who has the power to enforce warning labels on alcoholic beverages.
The judge wants the connection between GBV and alcohol to be explicit on all alcoholic drinks. In his ruling, the judge wrote: “Low-income worker + alcohol + a trigger for domestic violence = brutality + intimate femicide. The facts of this matter rehash, like a recurring nightmare, the tragic equation that all too frequently summarises the plight of women in South Africa.” He makes a compelling argument that Minister Aaron Motsoaledi would need to respond to.
Existing legislation gives the minister the power to prescribe how foodstuffs, including alcohol, is labelled. Although alcoholic beverages already contain warning labels such as: ‘alcohol reduces driving ability, don’t drink and drive’ and ‘drinking during pregnancy can be harmful to your unborn baby’, there is only one warning that links alcohol consumption to violence and crime. The warning reads: ‘alcohol is a major cause of violence and crime’. It’s far from specific and doesn’t tell you that there is a link between heavy drinking, GBV and femicide.
The health department had previously acknowledged the inadequacy of alcohol labelling requirements and, in 2017, introduced regulatory amendments which included mandatory rotation of health messages across all products to ensure greater exposure to different warnings. The amendments were scheduled to take effect in December 2020 but were repealed by then-Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, following industry pressure, without public consultation. Given the continued crisis of alcohol-related harm, and Judge Govindjee’s renewed call for GBV-specific labelling, it’s imperative that the government revisits these regulations and strengthens public health messaging on alcoholic beverages.
A growing body of local and international research shows the link between GBV and alcohol consumption. Several studies have found that a significant proportion of perpetrators of GBV in South Africa were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incidents.
Research tells us that alcohol together with underlying risk factors, such as socio-economic stress and cultural and gender norms, increase the risk of GBV occurring. For instance, the Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance (SAAPA) and South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) have found that men’s harmful alcohol use tripled their risk of perpetrating GBV or interpersonal violence. The findings of the first South African National Gender-Based Violence Study revealed hazardous alcohol consumption as a significant factor contributing to the perpetration of intimate partner violence by men. Therefore, the number of establishments selling alcohol in a community and their trading hours affects the safety of women and their children.
Start with labels but we need more
While stronger labelling regulations are necessary, we need a host of other interventions to make a difference. The judiciary’s engagement with the National Department of Health is a good place to start and a powerful example of the need for cross-sector collaboration. We need multiple government departments — including Health, Trade, Industry and Competition, Social Development and the Presidency — to implement a comprehensive national agenda on alcohol in collaboration with civil society, researchers and communities.
We need a national agenda that prioritises stricter regulations on alcohol sales and consumption by doing the following five things:
- Limit trading hours and the number of liquor outlets in communities. Reducing the availability of alcohol, especially during late-night hours, can decrease alcohol-fuelled violence.
- Introduce comprehensive restrictions on alcohol advertising. Advertising should be banned except at points of sale where it should be restricted to ensure it is not visible to children.
- Increase the price of alcohol. Higher prices, through excise taxes and Minimum Unit Pricing, reduce excessive drinking and its associated harms.
- Introduce stricter drink-driving regulations. Lowering the legal blood alcohol concentration limit to 0.02% or below would align South Africa with global best practices.
- Expand access to counselling and psychosocial services. Support services for individuals struggling with alcohol dependence are necessary to reduce harmful drinking behaviours.
The time for half measures is over. South Africa needs a bold and comprehensive approach to alcohol harm reduction. Judge Govindjee’s voice is a clarion call for change — one that we must heed if we are to stem the tide of alcohol-induced GBV and femicide.
Zimasa Mpemnyama is the Project Lead for the Alcohol Harms Reduction campaign at the DG Murray Trust.
City Press originally published this op-ed on 16 March 2025. Access it here.
