Let the people have fun this festive!

Tumie Modise | Monday December 21, 2015 15:41

I don’t know about everybody else but on a personal level, this has been a good year.

I didn’t win the lotto, I still don’t drive my dream car, but still I feel fulfilled and thankful to the one above.  I did things my way, for the first time this year; I actually listened only to myself and no one else. I take credit for both my mistakes and accomplishments.

By now most people have already filled in their leave forms and as is customary, there would be ‘skeletal’ staff left behind, goodbye to productivity!

 Not that anybody even cares, we cannot be bothered, all focus is now on the real important things about life – family, fun and more fun!

Because pranks are now fast becoming much part of life in this country, some adult, perhaps still kicking themselves over that prank by a six year old, decided to also pull a fast one on the nation, two days ago.

This unknown person, whom I presume is already in full throttle festive mode, even possibly ‘high’ on some prohibited contra band, sent the country’s drinking population into panic mode!

By now we already know that only two groups of people exist in this country; people who drink alcohol, and those who don’t.

The former group is clearly in the majority and it is this group that one should never mess around with.

The last SONA address, only a month ago, reaffirmed what some of us long suspected; which is that this particular group pays the most tax, billions to be exact.

So this prankster decided that of all the people, this week he/she should prank our drinking populace.

The thing about this group is that nothing else ever matters to them, the moment they decide they are having their drink. Put a plate of delicious meal and a can of drink in front of them; the can will win every time.

For years now, the government has been fighting this group with everything at its disposal; fines, threats, suspension of driver’s licences, high alcohol levy, regulations of hours of drinking, naming and shaming them on the Daily News, among others. Nothing has worked, I doubt anything else ever will.

Alcohol drinkers are like modern-day church followers; they are unshakeable in their faith and convictions. Launching a war on people whose idea of fun and relaxation is getting drunk is simply, just a complete waste of time.

They already know the cons of excessive drinking (there are no pros), majority of them are adults, with kids of their own. Heck, some of them are even grandparents!

So this prankster dared to go when even angels don’t dare go and pranked this group.

We woke up to the news last week, through a forged government memo, that the unpopular alcohol levy has once more been hiked this festive season.

As expected, tempers immediately flared. For some politicians, Christmas had come early! You see politicians are very predictable, shameless opportunists. For some of them, it is never about what is good for the country; anything that gets them talking is good enough. Oblivious that this was only a just a prank, most of them came with guns blazing.

Sophisticated terms such as; ‘draconian laws’ and ‘wanton trampling of basic human rights’ were thrown around. Only later did they realise they had been played!

My whole point and the subject of this write up is that this impasse between the government and this group of imbibers has gone on long enough.

Personally, I think it is time the face off came to an end. Clearly, there isn’t going to be any winner or loser here.

The government keeps hiking the alcohol levy, the people just keep on drinking; business as usual. Alcohol cost keeps rising, but accidents continue claiming lives by Molapo intersection every weekend and the UB wall keeps getting knocked over every weekend.

If I were the acting president, what would I do about this situation? Just for this festive, I would just lift this alcohol embargo, let the people drink their alcohol without any inhibitions, open bars and entertainment spots 24 hours a day, sit back  and watch as pockets dry up even before Christmas day!

Cheers to all, wishing you all a fabulous Christmas and safe holidays. Let us all come back next year revitalised, pumped up and ready to face the New Year! I will drink to that. Cheers.