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Now with increased numbers doing so, it is downright dangerous. With no traffic management measures in place, a multiple pile seems inevitable. Two. The announcement of new liquor trading hours as per the Liquor Act of 2003 to be implemented on 1st April has attracted much comment and controversy. Of greater concern, however, are the provisions for the location of new liquor selling outlets, which after 1st April, are to be, quote, "at least 500 metres away from schools, highways, major roads or churches." Liquor businesses that are already established and are situated, quote, "close to the roads, schools and churches will be required to relocate within five years." The above provisions to be implemented by unspecified Local Authorities. Governments have always struggled to achieve control of commercial sex and booze. The new government proposals to achieve this, to be implemented on 1st April, are bold, innovative, costly and call for a major measure of self-sacrifice. In more revolutionary countries, there would be a patriotic rush by individual and company bar owners, often members of the ruling elite, to carry out their social obligations, to close down their profitable businesses and to apply to Land Boards for new plots in places where the only customer might be the occasional lost goat. Botswana is fortunately not of that kind. In all the official literature, the people of this country are described as pragmatic, sensibly-minded, not given to excesses, and loaded with common sense. So what will happen on 1st April? The local authorities, District Councils, Land Boards and Tribal Administrations will do nothing until called into action by the Ministry. Whose near-the-road liquor bar should be the first to be targeted by the yellow monster? And on what basis should they prioritise? The Minister's, the M.P's, the District Council Chairman's, one of his relatives, a member of the BDP, BNF or BCP or one of the local royal family? So they appeal to the administrative system. And then the legal system, citing every kind of acknowledged right, to a living, choice, freedom from constraint or from government abuse. Under the sheer volume of appeals, the system becomes blocked and inoperative. The legal and economic implications grow ever larger. New hastily written laws have to be rushed through the National Assembly cancelling legally established land rights, all the relevant agreements signed with commercial banks and with government lending agencies such as FAP and CEDA, denying the right of everyone involved to compensation, compelling Land Boards to allocate plots somewhere far-away from roads and District Councils to approve instant liquor trading licences. The local government system seizes up and inundated, the legal system is overwhelmed. The international commercial banks reduce their operations. Kalahari Breweries closes, throwing yet more people out of work and Botswana is declared a booze-free country, even though the HIV/AIDS and crime figures remain un-reduced. Meanwhile the rest of the world looks on in total astonishment as yet another African state, throws away everything it has learnt and achieved in 40 years, its own Vision, and its priorities built up over 40 hard years to take the Mugabe route to chaos. Has Mr Gaylard Kombani, the deputy permanent secretary at the Ministry of Trade and Industry anticipated the economic consequences of the measures he has just signed? Why has he preferred authoritative decree to consultation and popular consensus? Alcohol and associated ills do harm many individuals but to save them, it makes no sense to throw away everyone else.
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