Liquor Act

The Liquor Act provides a comprehensive system for the licensing, regulation, and control of the production, supply, sale, and consumption of alcoholic beverages in Zimbabwe. The Act balances commercial interests with public health, safety, and social order considerations, and delegates significant regulatory authority to local licensing boards.

Key provisions include:

• Licensing Boards – Establishes provincial and district licensing boards, typically chaired by a magistrate and including local authority representatives. Boards have independent decision-making authority to grant, refuse, suspend, or cancel liquor licenses.

• Categories of licenses – Defines an extensive schedule of license types tailored to different premises and activities, including:

  • Hotel liquor license – For hotels serving guests and members of the public.

  • Restaurant liquor license – For bona fide restaurants where alcohol is served ancillary to meals.

  • Night club and bottle store licenses – For retail sale of alcohol.

  • Manufacturer’s licenses – For breweries, distilleries, and wineries.

  • Special event/temporary licenses – For sporting events, festivals, and private functions.

  • Shebeen license – A regulated framework for small-scale, informal taverns, subject to additional community consultation.

• Application procedure – Requires applicants to submit detailed premises plans, pay prescribed fees, publish public notices, and allow neighbouring property owners an opportunity to object on grounds such as proximity to schools or places of worship, noise concerns, or public nuisance.

• Trading hours and conditions – Empowers licensing boards to impose specific conditions on each license, including permitted trading hours (typically restricted to certain hours and days), noise control measures, security requirements, and rules about serving intoxicated persons or minors.

• Enforcement – Grants police, licensing officers, and local authority officials powers to enter licensed premises, inspect compliance, seize unlicensed liquor, and arrest offenders. Provides for spot fines, license suspension, and criminal prosecution for violations.

• Offences – Creates criminal offences for operating without a license, selling to minors (under 18) or intoxicated persons, trading outside permitted hours, and manufacturing illicit alcohol. Prescribes fines, imprisonment, and forfeiture of liquor and equipment.

For us, the Liquor Act affects zoning decisions (through planning powers), the work of environmental health officers (inspections), and the maintenance of public order (noise complaints, nuisance). The council typically has representation on the licensing board and may also adopt by-laws that supplement the Act (e.g., stricter local trading hours or designated alcohol-free zones).

• Liquor Act pdf (589kb) [ download ]