Open the booze-gates!
Mmegi Editor | Thursday August 31, 2017 11:19
President Ian Khama’s tenure, as had been predicted by many prior to his ascension in 2008, has been characterised by an unrelenting crackdown on alcohol. An alcohol levy was introduced and hiked many times to its current level of 55%, while liquor trading hours were tightened and traditional beer consumption also squeezed. Few today are prepared to argue that the country does not have an alcohol abuse problem, but more will agree that the measures imposed have been heavy-handed and ineffectual at the same time.
Many interests have been injured in the crossfire of Khama’s fight against alcohol abuse. One of these is obviously national sporting fraternity, which until recently was unable to solicit sponsorship from the alcohol industry.
Already suffering from a dearth of sponsorship opportunities, the sporting fraternity found it could not turn to the usually reliable support of the alcohol industry.
There is an established symbiotic relationship between the alcohol industry and the sporting fraternity and in fact, some of the world’s biggest alcohol brands, such as Heineken and Budweiser sponsor some of the globes biggest sporting competitions. Some countries have taken steps to disentangle the two, fearing alcohol marketing in sports encourages youth drunkenness, early drinking by youths or the normalisation or glorification of alcohol amongst children.
A study of these countries will quickly show that such logic is not universally applicable or relevant to the cultural and legal experience of Botswana. Alcohol is part of local culture and tradition, an irreplaceable component in gatherings and discourse.
While this means the young encounter alcohol earlier than their global peers, admonishments about alcohol from elders are embedded in the respect system that underpins local culture, helping many to grow up both respectful and fearful of alcohol.
Those who stray early into drunkenness find themselves at risk of the same estrangement our society uses as both a corrective tool and a buffer to protect those toeing the line from corruption. Outside of the cultural systems, Botswana also has a network of strict laws that discourage and penalise both youth drinking and alcohol abuse, while the judiciary takes a dim view of alcohol related offences.
There exists no straight line between the alcohol industry supporting the sporting fraternity and higher alcohol abuse, just as it could be argued that there is no straight line between a higher alcohol levy and lower abuse.
Between culture and the existing laws, the country has the tools it needs to ensure alcohol abuse is reigned in, while still allowing the sporting fraternity access to the diversity of sponsors it desperately needs.
Today’s thought
“Any political agenda and organisation which doesn’t begin with personal responsibility is just half the argument”
-Peter Coyote