Govt to revisit shebeen law

CLOSE to 1 000 shebeen owners from across Namibia marched on State House in Windhoek on Saturday, demanding the intervention of President Hifikepunye Pohamba and the reopening of their closed businesses.

They handed over a petition to Pohamba who, through Presidential Affairs Minister Albert Kawana, promised to look into their situation. Government has set up an inter-ministerial committee to look for an amicable solution to the problem.”So we are expecting the answer from the President or the Government in writing and through the coming week we will go back to the Government and ask them to provide us with an answer, which we can also put through to your regions,” said Namibian Shebeen Association (NASA) President Veripi Kandenge.In the petition they demanded that the Police stop closing illegal shebeens, a moratorium on the shebeen law, and that all stock seized by the Police must immediately be returned to the rightful owners.The shebeen owners have the backing of the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW), which said on Friday that widespread poverty in Namibia gave people fewer options to enter the labour market and thus were forced to operate shebeens through to augment their income.NUNW Secretary General Evilastus Kaaronda said shebeens were justified because Namibia failed to integrate the bulk of its citizens at the bottom of the wealth pyramid into the mainstream of the economy.”It is against this paramount need our people have for survival that we as the NUNW are not happy with the Government’s approach in this matter.We, therefore, call on Government and all shebeen owners and operators to engage in constructive dialogue aimed at finding a common solution to this potentially violent situation,” Kaaronda said.However, he called on the shebeen owners not to take the law into their own hands.Namibia’s human rights watchdog, the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), also called on Government to urgently find an amicable solution to the countrywide shebeen dilemma or face possible undesirable consequences with serious political, social and economic repercussions.The NSHR proposed that in the short term the Pohamba administration immediately create favourable conditions for a straightforward and simple legalisation process of illegal shebeens throughout the country.”This includes immediate return to the rightful owners all liquor and other related items allegedly seized by the Police and another extension of the grace period to enable the thousands of shebeeners to obtain licences, as well as the suspension of the enforcement of certain provisions of the controversial Liquor Act,” said NSHR executive director Phil ya Nangoloh.He said an amendment of the unpopular and unjust Liquor Act must be a long-term solution.”An unjust law is not a law,” he said.Government has set up an inter-ministerial committee to look for an amicable solution to the problem.”So we are expecting the answer from the President or the Government in writing and through the coming week we will go back to the Government and ask them to provide us with an answer, which we can also put through to your regions,” said Namibian Shebeen Association (NASA) President Veripi Kandenge.In the petition they demanded that the Police stop closing illegal shebeens, a moratorium on the shebeen law, and that all stock seized by the Police must immediately be returned to the rightful owners.The shebeen owners have the backing of the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW), which said on Friday that widespread poverty in Namibia gave people fewer options to enter the labour market and thus were forced to operate shebeens through to augment their income.NUNW Secretary General Evilastus Kaaronda said shebeens were justified because Namibia failed to integrate the bulk of its citizens at the bottom of the wealth pyramid into the mainstream of the economy.”It is against this paramount need our people have for survival that we as the NUNW are not happy with the Government’s approach in this matter.We, therefore, call on Government and all shebeen owners and operators to engage in constructive dialogue aimed at finding a common solution to this potentially violent situation,” Kaaronda said.However, he called on the shebeen owners not to take the law into their own hands.Namibia’s human rights watchdog, the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR), also called on Government to urgently find an amicable solution to the countrywide shebeen dilemma or face possible undesirable consequences with serious political, social and economic repercussions.The NSHR proposed that in the short term the Pohamba administration immediately create favourable conditions for a straightforward and simple legalisation process of illegal shebeens throughout the country.”This includes immediate return to the rightful owners all liquor and other related items allegedly seized by the Police and another extension of the grace period to enable the thousands of shebeeners to obtain licences, as well as the suspension of the enforcement of certain provisions of the controversial Liquor Act,” said NSHR executive director Phil ya Nangoloh.He said an amendment of the unpopular and unjust Liquor Act must be a long-term solution.”An unjust law is not a law,” he said.