Wine shelves empty at Wonderpark Woolworths

Woolworths in Wonderpark, north of Pretoria, has been stripped of its rights to sell wine until it renews its liquor licence, Tshwane metro police said on Thursday.

Metro police spokeswoman Superintendent Alta Fourie said the store was fined R40, 000.

This followed after metro police confiscated more than 600 litres of wine on Monday.

"It is unfortunate that they were selling liquor without a licence and had to be fined," said Fourie.

Woolworths said in a statement that under the terms of Woolworths franchise agreements, franchises were responsible for applying for and maintaining their own liquor licences.

"However, Albert Fourie, the franchisee of Woolworths in Wonderpark confirmed that the store was awarded a liquor licence at the time of opening the food market in 2005," the statement read.

The licence is renewable annually.

"Fourie has confirmed to Woolworths that he is currently in discussions with the liquor board in this regard.

"Woolworths was unaware that, in this instance, the licence had not yet been renewed and at present we are discussing this oversight directly with the franchisee concerned. Woolworths policy is that, upon sight of the original liquor licence, we supply the franchisee with wine for resale in their store," read the statement.

Fourie refused to comment.

Source: Sapa

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