22 Aug 2018

Residents of Parakarungu are poles apart on alcohol consumption.

   Giving feedback to a team tasked to consult Batswana on the alcohol levy recently, some residents said alcohol was the root cause of all the evils bedeviling society, while some said alcohol helped them to deal with challenges they faced in their lives.

Those against alcohol intake complained about the rowdiness of the youth, that they alleged was a result of alcohol consumption.  

They said alcohol caused lack of direction in families, saying some parents abandoned family duties and neglected their children to focus on alcohol consumption.

They also complained about the failure of alcohol retailers to adhere to the stipulated trading hours, especially the ones operating from homes.  

However, the residents all concurred that there was a need to increase the import duty on alcoholic products depending on their alcoholic content, saying imported alcoholic products did more harm than the home brewed ones due to their high alcohol content. 

A few residents also said there was need to have rules and regulations governing the marketing of alcohol.

Some, however, believed implementation of such laws would be a hindrance to those in the alcohol trade to market their products. One of the residents, Ms Rosa Chihobe said like any other goods, alcohol should be marketed without any constraints.Parakarungu residents said they were aware of the intervention strategies that were already in place and acknowledged that some of the strategies were achieving the goal of curbing alcohol abuse.  

They were of the view that the increased alcohol levy seemed to be cause more harm than good, saying people neglected their family needs and instead spent all their earnings on alcohol causing poverty in their households.

They pleaded for the levy to be reduced, saying they believed it would enable them to make more profit, which they could use to sustain their families. 

Other residents on the contrary suggested that the levy be increased to deter alcohol consumers and maybe stop the intake as people would not be able to afford it.

Residents were also in accord that entertainment venues be sound proofed to protect the community from noise pollution.  They also agreed that it was the responsibility of the alcohol retailers to ensure cleanliness of the environment surrounding their areas of operation.

The residents were, however, against the idea that identity documents be produced at liquor outlets to ensure alcohol age restrictions was adhered to as identity documents could easily be lost or stolen. 

Kgosi Richwell Nkonkwena suggested that alcohol retail outlets be fenced and that there be specific places where home brewed alcohol could be sold away from residential areas.

Furthermore, Kgosi suggested that public education campaigns on alcohol consumption be intensified, adding that with the right information, the youth would be able to make informed decisions concerning alcohol consumption. In his closing remarks, Kgosi Jimson Tembwe thanked residents for freely sharing their opinion. ENDS