Boozers amongst charged curfew breakers
Pini Bothoko | Friday February 5, 2021 14:47
Alcohol imbibers also earned a new name- curfew breakers, along with others who also landed in trouble for going against the stipulated protocols.
The Botswana Police Service (BPS) has from January 1 to 23, 2021 charged 14, 822 people across the country for violating the national curfew and ban on alcohol.
A concerned BPS’ public relations officer, assistant commissioner Dipheko Motube identified illegal sale of home-brewed beers being the most popular source of intoxication during the curfew and alcohol ban period.
“Phokoje ga a ke a latlha mosesele” is a Setswana saying which is equivalent to “a leopard never loses its spots”. The saying is lived by many Batswana who just cannot seem to do without their alcoholic beverages. To quench their collective thirsts, they have since resorted to traditional homebrewing after being denied their poison of choice, according to the police boss.
Motube stated that violation of alcohol ban and curfew time restrictions remain a challenge in the country amidst the increasing number of the coronavirus (COVID-19) infections. He revealed they have recorded 112 cases for illegal brewing and sale of traditional beers. “Khadi and Mnanti are at the top of the list of traditional brews threatening the lives of Batswana craving alcohol.
“It looks like it is easy to brew Khadi and they sell it in two-litre bottles. The demand for alcohol is high and this has fuelled the mushrooming of shebeens,” he said. Motube stated that through tip-offs, they continue to arrest and charge shebeen operators, taking along staggering drunks whom they often catch in the act. The police seize these home-brews as evidence. He said shebeen operators and drinkers are charged between P1, 000 and P5, 000 as an admission of guilt. Furthermore, Motube revealed that during the same period 7, 212 people were nabbed for failure to wear facemasks. Another 7, 078 were charged for unlawful movement of persons during the curfew. Motube added that they have charged 53 people for operating businesses without satisfying prescribed COVID-19 health protocols. He said some businesses are failing to keep a proper and well-maintained registry and fail to screen body temperatures. “We have also recorded 35 cases for violation of transport permits. Some public transport operators continue to crowd people in buses and taxis, especially towards curfew time. We have also recorded 54 cases of people drinking alcohol at prohibited areas,” he said.
Motube said failure to wear a mask properly is most pronounced amongst the youth, who usually dangle the cloth on their chins despite proper wearing of masks being compulsory. He, however, applauded elders for mostly complying with the protocol of wearing masks throughout the year. “Surprisingly, we have been battling with people who reluctantly wear masks.
Most of those people wear masks when the police are around, he said, adding that although the police do not enjoy charging people for not wearing masks properly, they are often left with no option but to charge those people who violate this protocol. “At the end of the day, the law must take its cause,” Motube said.
He made an impassioned plea to members of the public to observe all protocols since not doing so poses a great health risk.