17 Jan 2016

Boteti East MP, Mr Sethomo Lelatisitswe, has called for cooperation among Letlhakane leadership to address the escalating alcoholism in the village and its surrounding areas.

Mr Lelatisitswe said this during a kgotla meeting in Letlhakane. He expressed concern about brutal killings taking place in shebeens especially in Khwee and Letlhakane.

He noted that such killings were rare in legal outlets, but were common in shebeens.

Mr Lelatisitswe said some shebeens operated outside permissible operating hours disguising through the use of tea sets to serve alcohol.

However, the MP commended Letlhakane police saying they made a difference in people’s lives by curbing alcoholism.

He said they had instilled behavioural change amongst members of the community.

Kgosi Barontshi Kegapetswe of Letlhakane indicated that illegal home brews led to loss of lives in Letlhakane, with the number of deaths standing at nine.

Kgosi Kegapetswe said though they tried to intervene as the village leadership the concerned parties such as shebeen owners failed to show up at the meetings.

He advised the residents to embark on motshelo for purposes of making money instead of operating shebeens.

One of the residents, Ms Rebecca Oitsile complained that people were failing to adhere to their medication due to alcoholism, while others had deteriorated beyond their age bracket due to consumption of illegal brews.

Letlhakane police station commander, Assistant Superintendent Albert Foda, noted that shebeens were prohibited in Botswana, adding that Chibuku was regulated under the same act with other alcoholic drinks.

Assistant Supt Foda said traditional brews were regulated by dikgosi noting that selling home brews was not supposed to take place throughout in one homestead. Ends