Do the party manifestos take alcohol harm seriously?

This tracker compares political party manifestos against South Africa's existing legal and policy responsibilities to reduce alcohol-related harm.

view the party scorecard

Did you know: Over 50% of violent crimes in South Africa involve alcohol.

How the scoring works

Every commitment below is scored on a simple four-point scale.

Yes
Clear commitment
Partial
Mentioned, but lacking detail
No
Does not support the commitment
Not-mentioned
Not addressed in the manifesto

Party manifesto scorecard

The Scorecard

Each party is assessed against 13 commitments drawn from South Africa's existing alcohol harm reduction responsibilities. Scroll right to compare.

Please note that this selection focuses on parties with parliamentary representation in the National Assembly, though we fully acknowledge the broader spectrum of political parties active in the country.

ACDP

4 of 13 — Yes

ActionSA

4 of 13 — Yes

Al-Jama-ah

2 of 13 — Yes

ANC

6 of 13 — Yes

ATM

2 of 13 — Yes

BOSA

1 of 13 — Yes

3 of 13 — Yes

EFF

5 of 13 — Yes

FF Plus

2 of 13 — Yes

GOOD Party

2 of 13 — Yes

IFP

4 of 13 — Yes

MK Party

4 of 13 — Yes

NCC

4 of 13 — Yes

3 of 13 — Yes

PAC

2 of 13 — Yes

RISE Mzansi

4 of 13 — Yes

UAT

1 of 13 — Yes

UDM

1 of 13 — Yes

1Alcohol harm reduction

Not Mentioned

2Public health approach

Not Mentioned

Partial

Not Mentioned

Partial

Yes

Partial

3Local Drug Action Committees

Partial

Yes

Not Mentioned

Partial

Yes

Partial

Yes

Not Mentioned

Yes

4SAPS Liquor Officers

Yes

Not Mentioned

Yes

Partial

5Municipal by-laws and enforcement

Yes

Partial

Not Mentioned

Yes

6Liquor licensing reform

Partial

Yes

Partial

Not Mentioned

Partial

7Protection of children and youth

Yes

Not Mentioned

Partial

Yes

Not Mentioned

Partial

8Gender-based violence prevention

Not Mentioned

9Alcohol taxation and pricing

Yes

Partial

Not Mentioned

Partial

10Marketing and advertising restrictions

Yes

Partial

Yes

Partial

Yes

Partial

Yes

Partial

Yes

Partial

Not Mentioned

Partial

11Community participation

Not Mentioned

Partial

Not Mentioned

Partial

Not Mentioned

12Evidence-based policy

Yes

Not Mentioned

Yes

Partial

Not Mentioned

Yes

Not Mentioned

Yes

Not Mentioned

Yes

Not Mentioned

13Monitoring and public accountability

Partial

Yes

Partial

Not Mentioned

Yes

Partial

Yes

Partial

Party assessment details

In Detail

Open a party to see its overall summary, strongest commitments, main gaps, and manifesto references.

EFFReferences community prevention structures but does not commit to establishing LDACs in every municipality.

ANCReferences community prevention structures but does not commit to establishing LDACs in every municipality.

DAReferences community prevention structures but does not commit to establishing LDACs in every municipality.

IFPReferences community prevention structures but does not commit to establishing LDACs in every municipality.

ACDPReferences community prevention structures but does not commit to establishing LDACs in every municipality.

MK PartyReferences community prevention structures but does not commit to establishing LDACs in every municipality.

PAReferences community prevention structures but does not commit to establishing LDACs in every municipality.

FF PlusReferences community prevention structures but does not commit to establishing LDACs in every municipality.

ActionSAReferences community prevention structures but does not commit to establishing LDACs in every municipality.

UDMReferences community prevention structures but does not commit to establishing LDACs in every municipality.

BOSAReferences community prevention structures but does not commit to establishing LDACs in every municipality.

RISE MzansiReferences community prevention structures but does not commit to establishing LDACs in every municipality.

Al-Jama-ahReferences community prevention structures but does not commit to establishing LDACs in every municipality.

ATMReferences community prevention structures but does not commit to establishing LDACs in every municipality.

NCCReferences community prevention structures but does not commit to establishing LDACs in every municipality.

PACReferences community prevention structures but does not commit to establishing LDACs in every municipality.

GOOD PartyReferences community prevention structures but does not commit to establishing LDACs in every municipality.

UATReferences community prevention structures but does not commit to establishing LDACs in every municipality.

what criteria are these parties assessed on?

Local Government

South Africa's existing framework places most day-to-day enforcement with municipalities. Parties are assessed on whether they support councils reviewing and enforcing laws based around the following:

Public drinking restrictions

Noise and nuisance by-laws

Trading hours enforcement

Liquor outlet licensing

Land use and zoning near schools

Alcohol advertising in public spaces

Public safety around outlets

Waste management around licensed premises

Event and gathering permits

Environmental health enforcement

What is the tracker based on?

The Basis

The 13 commitments are drawn from South Africa's existing laws and national policy. See below which laws apply and why.

This tracker is based on these South African existing laws and national policy

Constitution of South Africa, s27

Establishes the right to health care, anchoring alcohol harm reduction as a rights issue, not only a policing one.

National Health Act 61 of 2003

Sets the framework for public health planning that alcohol harm strategies sit within.

Children’s Act 38 of 2005

Protects minors from harm and exploitation linked to alcohol access and marketing.

Child Justice Act 75 of 2008

Governs how alcohol-related offences involving minors are handled.

Liquor Act 59 of 2003

Sets the national legal basis for restricting sale, trading hours and outlet density.

Provincial Liquor Acts

Devolve licensing authority and enforcement standards to provinces.

Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000

Requires municipalities to plan and deliver services, including by-law enforcement.

Integrated Development Plan (IDP) process

Is the mechanism through which alcohol harm reduction should be budgeted and tracked locally.

National Road Traffic Act 93 of 1996

Regulates drink-driving, a leading cause of alcohol-related deaths.

Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993

Addresses alcohol-related risk in workplace safety.

Domestic Violence Act 116 of 1998

Provides protection where alcohol is a documented risk factor in domestic violence incidents.

National Strategic Plan on GBV and Femicide

Names alcohol misuse as a contributing driver of GBV requiring coordinated response.

National Strategic Plan for HIV, TB and STIs

Links alcohol use to health outcomes and prevention targets.

National Drug Master Plan

Sets national targets for reducing substance-related harm, including alcohol.