24 Sep 2017

Entertainment or festival events already scheduled to use the National Stadium this year will go on.

Addressing music promoters at Botswana National Youth Council recently, Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development, Thapelo Olopeng said following a savingram from government that banned entertainment or festival events at the National Stadium, the issue had been revisited and Cabinet had agreed to allow events scheduled for this year to go on.

“But this decision comes following recommendations I have made to Cabinet to better police such events in future. Cabinet has agreed with set rules, regulations and penalties to better regulate these events in future and following what recently transpired at the National Stadium, we had no choice but to step in,” he said.

He indicated that new recommendations agreed upon would categorise entertainment or festival events into day events (10am-6/8pm), evening events (2pm-10pm) and night events (6pm-6am).

“Security will require that when a promoter has an event that is projected to have 0-1 000 people, 50 security personnel will be engaged, 0-5 000 people you employ 100 security personnel and if it is 6 000-15 000+ people you hire 500 security people,” he said,

He added that promoters would be required to disclose how many tickets they would print, and that no sale of tickets at the gate during the day of the event.

Olopeng further said other security measures would be having metal detectors, sniffer dogs to detect drugs.

“Other recommendations I made to cabinet that were agreed upon are that extra toilets and ablution facilities will be provided by the promoter at the promoter’s cost to augment what is already available at the venue,” he said.

He said cooler boxes would not to be allowed into the venue and if alcohol was to be served, would have to be done at the venue.

“No cans, no glasses, no bottles, no back packs and alcohol will be brought in by individuals into entertainment/festival events. Women carry purses and they will not be searched but rather have sniffer dogs do their job,” said Olopeng.

Minister Olopeng said visibly drunk and intoxicated revelers would not be allowed into the venue and those visibly drunk and intoxicated at an event and causing trouble or damaging property would be thrown out and not reimbursed.

He said what recently took place at the national stadium should not be taken lightly because a life was lost and was not going to allow a few individuals spoil and ruin the entire entertainment industry.

Minister Olopeng said entertainment/festival events scheduled for this year at the national stadium would be used to pilot the recommendations approved by government.

“Consultations are still to go and suggestions from stakeholders are welcome to add more regulations and rules to police these events. We need to protect promoters, artistes and consumers from each other and bring back the confidence of the public in these events. And it starts with individuals enjoying, drinking and having fun responsibly. Why can’t we just do that,” he quizzed.

He noted that with penalties, he suggested that any company violating the new recommendations should be banned along with directors of that company.

“This is the only suggestion I made and it was agreed upon and I want you to suggest more penalties as I value consultation very much,” he continued.

He said entertainment/festivals should be looking to move away from national stadiums and have their own infrastructure.

Consensus among music promoters was that to better regulate the industry, promoters should be licenced to which the minister agreed and called for better relations between promoters and the industry as a whole to better regulate itself.

“You need to be better coordinated so we know who we are dealing with for better rapport among all the stakeholders. Let’s have better and recognisable structures so we move forward,” he concluded. ENDS