LEGALLY SPEAKING – Legal duty of care owed by taverns to customers.

Loading player...
Most taverns are notoriously known for their unsafety and violent activities. Serious assaults, bar fights, and sometimes deaths are not unheard of in taverns. Most societies have come to accept such occurrences at taverns. As a consequence of this acceptance, most incidents are not reported. In recent weeks, South Africa has seen a worrisome rise in mass deaths at taverns. These, unlike isolated incidents of violent behaviour, are particularly worrying because they are happening at a mass scale and within a short space of time.

Within the past few weeks, several incidents of tavern deaths have occurred including the death of 21 children at Enyobeni, Eastern Cape, 15 people in Soweto, Gauteng, and 4 people in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. Furthermore, 8 people were seriously injured in the Pietermaritzburg shooting. Again, in Eastern Cape, there was a separate assault incident which led to the death of a 19-year-old teenager.
27 Jul 2022 6AM English South Africa Business News · Investing

Other recent episodes

Budget 2026: From stabilisation to real economic rvhnelief

South Africa’s 2026 Budget provides a cautiously optimistic economic outlook, signalling early momentum from ongoing structural reforms, improved investor sentiment, and easing inflationary pressures. With growth forecasts gradually rising, tax relief measures introduced to protect disposable income, and a narrowing fiscal deficit, the Budget reflects the government's attempt to balance…
26 Feb 3PM 11 min

Consumer safety alert: NCC investigates popular sanitary pad brands

A product designed for dignity and basic hygiene is now at the centre of a national safety investigation. South Africa’s National Consumer Commission has launched a probe into several sanitary pad and panty liner brands following findings by the University of the Free State that detected potentially harmful chemical elements…
26 Feb 1PM 9 min

Motus interim results

Motus Holdings Limited has delivered a stronger interim performance, signalling resilience in the country’s automotive and mobility sectors. For the six months ended 31 December 2025, the group reported an 8% increase in operating profit to R2.7 billion, a sharp 23% decline in net finance costs, and a 19% jump…
26 Feb 3PM 11 min

What budget means for the property market

South Africa’s 2026 Budget has delivered a suite of consumer-friendly fiscal measures aimed at putting more money back into households and supporting small business activity. For the property sector, the adjustments to tax brackets, savings incentives, and capital gains exclusions signal an environment designed to strengthen demand and improve affordability…
26 Feb 3PM 11 min

Inside Your Business: SMEs, Budget 2026 and Black Business Participation

Black Business Council CEO Kganki Matabane unpacks what Minister Enoch Godongwana’s Budget means for businesses by focusing on practical impacts, including tax pressure, SME support, procurement access, and whether fiscal policy truly improves the operating environment for black and small businesses.
26 Feb 1PM 4 min