03 Jun 2020

Shopping trolleys were filled to the brim with cases of beer, cider, bottles of whiskey and wines as the sale of alcohol resumed on June 3 morning after more than two months of ban due to the lockdown imposed to control the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

It has been two months and five days since the government took a decision to ban the sale of alcohol, together with the introduction of extreme social distancing, which forced people to stay at home as part of measures to fight the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

BOPA went around some liquor outlets in Gaborone to observe queues of people who had longed to buy alcohol.

Since Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Ms Peggy Serame, whose portfolio the liquor industry falls under,  delivered the good news on May 31 different social media platforms were abuzz with the news of re-selling of alcohol and praises directed to her.

Some praised the minister for a warm and compassionate heart towards Batswana.

“Motho yo montle wa go rata batho, yo a sekeng a raya motho a re nxaa, mmaarona mosadi tota mmelega batho,” these were some of the words or memes shared on Facebook pages.

BOPA observed queues of customers, meandering through the parking lot of Metsef in Block 3 and at Trans wholesalers along the Old Lobatse Road, waiting for the sale to start at 10 am.

The minister had announced 10 am as the opening time for bottle stores and bars as well as liquor wholesalers across the country.

One of the floor managers at Trans Wholesales, Mr Bushy Wally told BOPA that they had been preparing their stock since June 1 because they did not want customers to run around the wholesale looking for products.

He said one of the things they did  was to separate the expired stock from the fresh ones and also pack their products according to their brands.

Mr Wally said they had prepared their staff to comply to COVID-19 protocols and encouraged them to speed up services to customers to avoid a long stay in the wholesale.

He said the available stock was enough to last a week without any restocking but said they had long placed their orders, which he hoped would be delivered before the available stock ran out.

For her part, Ms Boineelo Busang, a Manager at Tops Bottle store at Gaborone West mall said they experienced long queues around 8am while they were still cleaning and getting ready to open.

She said before they opened, they addressed the customers to remind them that they should adhere to all the COVID-19 protocols such as wearing masks and social distancing, something which she said some of them were not obliging to as they wanted to get inside the store in large numbers.

Ms Busang said they were fortunate as their store is not far from the Gaborone West Police Station and patrolling police officers assisted them to ensure order.

At around noon (June 3), queues were still visible in most of the liquor outlets at places such as Bonnington and Molapo Crossing malls. ENDS