New law on traditional brews

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer | Monday October 11, 2010 00:00

The new law incorporate some recommendations of President Ian Khama's Morals Committee, also known as the Joint advisory Committee of Ntlo ya Dikgosi and Botswana Council of Churches on Social Issues.

It spells an end to dispoto or shebeens amid fears that it will hit the Chibuku business hard as it prohibits the sale of traditional beer and Chibuku from homes as is currently the case.

The Moral's Committee headed by Kgosi Puso Gaborone recommended that traditional beer be regulated in terms of licensing, time of sale, ingredients.

The committee also recommended that the licenses for traditional beer be issued by dikgosi at no cost.However in her consultation with Bakgatla last week, Minister Makgatho-Malesu heard that traditional brews like bojalwa ja Setswana be allowed to be sold in homes, with strict monitoring and regulation of the kgosi.

Bakgatla, however concurred that shebeens contribute to misery and supported the proposal to ban the sale of Chibuku from homes. Under the new law Chibuku traders will now be required to hold a license and not operate from homes. Chibuku will be sold only at licensed depots. However, brewers of traditional beer for ceremonial and cultural purposes such as manyalo, dikgafela, badimo, etc will be exempted from licensing requirements.

The new law also aims to eradicate shebeens which it says are the source of many social ills. Chibuku will no longer be sold beyond 6pm if the proposed law passes through.

Proposed operating hours for Chibuku at liquor depots midweek is 2pm-6pm, and 12 noon-7pm on weekends. On public holidays the proposed operating hours for depots is 3pm-7pm.

Sale of Chibuku will also be prohibited at masimo and moraka as it has a negative impact on the agricultural sector as herd-boys abandon livestock for the beer.

The proposed law says Chibuku depots should be regulated like other liquor outlets.

Other home brews will be sold from 2pm-6pm midweek and from 12noon to 7pm weekends, according to the draft law, which also recognizes only sekhokho, khadi, setopoti, mokuru, nkubi, and ila as legal, while the rest are declared illicit brews.

The proposed law also recommends stern action against brewers of harmful brews, although it does not immediately state the proposed punishments.

The ongoing consultation by the Minister comes after Parliament rejected proposed liquor regulations in 2006 and ordered for more consultation with the public.

The consultations started in May 2006 and ended in December 2006 but during the consultations it emerged that traditional beer regulations and operating hours be also included during consultations and discussions.