Lekopanye Mooketsi
31 March 2008
The new liquor regulations with reduced trading hours, will be implemented with effect from tomorrow.
According to the revised regulations bars would now open at 2.00 to 10.00 pm from Monday and to Thursdays. On Friday and Saturdays, the bars would open 12.000 until 11.00 pm. Currently the bars close at midnight during the weekends.
Unlike the previous proposed regulations, which suggested that liquors outlets should not open on Sundays, but this time they would be trading. However, the pubs would only open at 3.00 pm and close at 10.00 pm.
The bottle store trading hours would remain the same from 10.00 am and 7.00 pm. Liquor restaurants would open at 2.00 pm and close at 10.00 pm from Monday to Thursday. On Friday and Saturday, they would open from midday until 11.00 pm. On Sundays and public holidays, the liquor restaurants open at 3.00pm and close at 10.00 pm.
But nightclubs would be the hardest hit by the new regulations. From Monday to Thursdays, clubs would open at 7.00 pm and close at midnight. On Friday and Saturdays, the clubs would open at 7.00pm and close at 2.00 am. On Sunday and public holidays, the trading hours are 3.00 pm to 10.00 pm for nightclubs.
According to the regulations, festivals could only operate from 2.00 pm to midnight from Monday to Saturday.
According to the regulations, bars are going to be barred from providing sport and recreational facilities like darts, pool and snooker.
The liquor law states that nobody would be issued with a licence where the proposed business premises are not at least 500 metres away from a school, highway, major or church. But the licensing authority may negotiate with a licensee whose licence was issued before the coming into effect of regulation.
The assistant secretary of the liquor association, Thuto Che' Mokgwathi said they are waiting for the regulations to be gazetted first before they could take any action. "Basically there is nothing we can do until the regulations are gazetted," he said. He could not rule out the possibility of the association dragging the government to court.
Mokgwathi said they are not denying that there is alcohol abuse. But he called for consistency. "There should be consistency of the law. We are not saying people are not abusing alcohol but let us be uniform."
He said the government should not target their businesses only and leave out hotels and shebeens. He argued basically alcohol is alcohol irrespective of whether it is served at home or in a private house.
He said Chibuku and other traditional brews fall under the Local Government Act. He said bars fall under the Trade and Liquor Act while hotels are cover under the Tourism Act.
"I can't trade for 24 hours because my business does not fall under the Tourism Act but casinos can do. But how Batswana are licensed under the Tourism Act," Mokgwathi questioned.
Mokgwathi said police statistics show that crimes are mostly committed by people who consume traditional beer and Chibuku. He said the majority of crime happens under this category.
He noted that the sales of Chibuku are not controlled. Mokgwathi said brewery vehicles deliver Chibuku on the street and the people who take the beer home are children. He said such children are exposed to beer at any early age. Mokgwathi said Botswana is the only country that allows the importation of any type of alcohol even the strong ones. He said his association has recommended that there should be a liquor control body that will control the liquor industry in the country. He said they have also called for the introduction of sin tax that would be imposed on alcoholic beverages. "We are saying the government should be more active in educating people against the abuse of alcohol," he suggested.
In his view, reducing trading hours will not curb alcohol abuse. The proposed liquor regulations which were tabled by the Minister of Trade and Industry, Neo Moroka were rejected by members of the Botswana Liquor Traders Association in 2006. The association argued that the government wanted to take them out of business.
Later Specially Elected MP, Botsalo Ntuane tabled a motion in Parliament that the government should stall implementing the regulations pending further consultations with relevant stakeholders. But during the country-wide kgotla meetings that the group addressed, people spoke strongly against excessive abuse of alcohol especially amongst the youth. They called on government to do something to curb the practice. Other people blamed the spread of HIV/AIDS and other anti social behaviour on alcohol abuse.
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