02 Jun 2020

The fight against the COVID-19 pandemic  has brought with it a lot of stress and anxiety amongst the public, including undesirable consequences.

This was a result of new measures introduced from time to time, putting people’s normal daily activities and daily routines on hold automatically and switching life in general to a pause mode.

Many people experienced new levels of depression and acute loneliness, while some, especially the elderly experienced a lot of fear since they were considered a vulnerable group because of their weak immune system.

Some lovers of alcoholic beverages resorted to indulge in toxic alcohol brews and all forms of intoxicating substances including illegal drugs to cope with the sudden soberness imposed on them by the virus.

Just like in many other countries, President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi announced a total ban of the sale of alcohol and tobacco in April in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Another ban was also imposed on social gatherings to prevent the spread of the virus and also to reduce the burden on the already overburdened health facilities such as hospitals by preventing alcohol related injuries.

Although the ban of alcohol was done with good intention, the police country wide started reporting cases of illegal sale of alcohol.

Prior to the ban, there were reports of people who flocked bottle stores and other outlets that sell alcohol to stockpile on alcoholic beverages for the dry period that lay ahead.

During lockdown, police discovered an active underground sale of alcohol among communities.

Not only that, the police also arrested individuals for smuggling into the country consignments of alcohol and tobacco.

Most of these consignments according to police reports, were smuggled through various ports of entries by truck drivers transporting essential goods.

Worse still, the police reported that during this period of extreme social distancing, cases of homemade traditional brews skyrocketed.

In Kweneng district alone, Officer Commanding for District No. 11 Senior Superintendent Modise Gabatshwane said they had charged about 140 people in possession of traditional beer with many of such cases recorded in Molepolole and Kweneng West since day one of national lockdown until May 29.

Snr Supt Gabatshwane also explained that most of this traditional brews ranged from Khadi, Morukuru, Setopoti and other types.

He said offenders paid P1000 as admission of guilt while others were charged for selling cigarettes and about 40 people were fined at various villages to date.

Furthermore, they are still experiencing cases of sales of these concoctions, which most of the times are very harmful due to various unsafe substances used, which can be detrimental to people’s lives.

The escalation of homemade brews and the sale of such have not only caused some individuals to rub the law on the wrong side but recently, local newspapers reported a case in which two people died after allegedly drinking traditional brew near Khakhea village . ENDS