Let the city have fun

Monitor Editor | Monday December 8, 2014 12:29

It has been growing in popularity with its water theme in a land locked country notorious for its scarce water resources.The idea of a beach party in Botswana, let alone in Gaborone, the driest city in Botswana is both funny and exciting.

When one goes to the beach party, however, they are confronted by the stark contrast of a venue with water everywhere, thanks to the Lion’s Park water themes, where the event has been traditionally hosted for the last five years or so.

There is no doubt that this activity has a lot of positive returns when gauged against the few incidents of petty crime.

The conservative section of the community, however, has weighed in and called for the ban of events like the beach party because, in their view, the beach party is all about sexual immorality.

It would seem the conservative section of our people find it difficult to accept that morality issues can be so diverse.

Sometimes we need to hold back and let others exercise their freedom of choice; after all they are responsible adults.

Should our children, in pursuit of freedom to enjoy themselves, be seen travelling ion buses and aircrafts to have fun in Durban beaches, Cape Town or Johannesburg, where society does not impose their moral judgments on tourists?

It is a fact that the organisers of the beach Party have lost the Lion’s Park and its water themes mainly due to complaints from moralists.

This past weekend their event was a near flop as moralists in Tlokweng blocked the party for almost six hours, until the organisers presented them with a court order.

As a city, Gaborone deserves to be known as a place of fun, attracting tourists, and entertaining its willing dwellers. After all, no one is forced into this fun, it is attended by choice, people buy expensive tickets first to be able to and have fun; and it is not for the under18’s.

It is high time we theme our city as the city of fun, where tourists from the region can come and peacefully have fun with us, it is tourism.