Pro-shebeen protests move to Windhoek

THOUSANDS of disgruntled shebeen owners are expected to descend on Windhoek this weekend to take up their grievances with the highest authority.

Veripi Kandenge, President of the Namibian Shebeen Association (NSA), said come Saturday about 6 000 shebeen owners and patrons from across the country will march through the streets of Windhoek towards State House, where a petition will be handed to President Hifikepunye Pohamba. Meanwhile, some 200 protesters dug in their heels at the Walvis Bay Municipality on Wednesday – some even standing firm through a bitterly cold Tuesday night – to convey their dissatisfaction with the closure of their businesses.”We’ve had meetings with the Mayor, Police Commander, Municipal CEO, Town Council and the Regional Governor.It amounted to nothing.We will stay here until we get a positive response,” Ben Petrus, spokesperson of the demonstrators, told The Namibian on Wednesday.”If we don’t, we will take our plight to Windhoek.”Police officers were sent to the scene to disperse the crowd and, according to Petrus, they were ordered by Regional Commander Andrew Iyambo to use force if necessary.Operation Shebeen Out was launched in Walvis Bay two weeks ago, when the Police pulled the plug on unregistered shebeens in Kuisebmond and confiscated their ‘liquid assets’.Petrus claimed that stock other than alcohol was also seized.He said in some cases cellphones, phone cards and meat were also taken by Police officers.”The Liquor Act says nothing about that [items other than alcohol] and we demand that the Commissioner have those items returned immediately.”The cleanup campaign spilled over to Swakopmund last weekend, where several illegal watering holes were closed.On enquiry, Iyambo told The Namibian that he had no knowledge of Police closing down shebeens in Swakopmund.”If they are closed, they closed themselves,” he said.Petrus insisted that the sweep was done by NamPol, though.Walvis Bay is home to more than 400 shebeens – most of them in Kuisebmond – of which only 39 are licensed and about 40 have temporary permission to do business.Of Swakopmund’s estimated 200 backyard bars in Mondesa, 15 are operating legally.Freddie Kaukungua of the Swakopmund Municipality says fewer than ten shebeens in Mondesa are currently doing business after Police officers closed some last weekend and other owners took the safe route by closing up shop themselves to avoid their stock being confiscated.Though public opinion about the clampdown is divided, the general response from residents of Kuisebmond and Mondesa is positive.Many said they have had their first quiet and peaceful week in years.According to Iyambo, the operation is already proving to be successful since only eight crimes were reported during last week compared to an average of 48 charges laid every week before.”Too many shebeens are destroying the social fabric of the community.Now everybody sleeps well,” he said.”The Police don’t make the laws, we enforce them and complaints can only be dealt with in a court of law.”This sentiment was echoed on Thursday by Wilson Billawer, Walvis Bay municipal officer in the Town Planning Department, at the annual general meeting of the town’s chapter of the Namibian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI).Billawer said it is unacceptable that there is one shebeen for every hundred of the 37 000 residents of Kuisebmond.Meanwhile, some 200 protesters dug in their heels at the Walvis Bay Municipality on Wednesday – some even standing firm through a bitterly cold Tuesday night – to convey their dissatisfaction with the closure of their businesses.”We’ve had meetings with the Mayor, Police Commander, Municipal CEO, Town Council and the Regional Governor.It amounted to nothing.We will stay here until we get a positive response,” Ben Petrus, spokesperson of the demonstrators, told The Namibian on Wednesday.”If we don’t, we will take our plight to Windhoek.”Police officers were sent to the scene to disperse the crowd and, according to Petrus, they were ordered by Regional Commander Andrew Iyambo to use force if necessary.Operation Shebeen Out was launched in Walvis Bay two weeks ago, when the Police pulled the plug on unregistered shebeens in Kuisebmond and confiscated their ‘liquid assets’.Petrus claimed that stock other than alcohol was also seized.He said in some cases cellphones, phone cards and meat were also taken by Police officers.”The Liquor Act says nothing about that [items other than alcohol] and we demand that the Commissioner have those items returned immediately.”The cleanup campaign spilled over to Swakopmund last weekend, where several illegal watering holes were closed.On enquiry, Iyambo told The Namibian that he had no knowledge of Police closing down shebeens in Swakopmund.”If they are closed, they closed themselves,” he said.Petrus insisted that the sweep was done by NamPol, though.Walvis Bay is home to more than 400 shebeens – most of them in Kuisebmond – of which only 39 are licensed and about 40 have temporary permission to do business.Of Swakopmund’s estimated 200 backyard bars in Mondesa, 15 are operating legally.Freddie Kaukungua of the Swakopmund Municipality says fewer than ten shebeens in Mondesa are currently doing business after Police officers closed some last weekend and other owners took the safe route by closing up shop themselves to avoid their stock being confiscated.Though public opinion about the clampdown is divided, the general response from residents of Kuisebmond and Mondesa is positive.Many said they have had their first quiet and peaceful week in years.According to Iyambo, the operation is already proving to be successful since only eight crimes were reported during last week compared to an average of 48 charges laid every week before.”Too many shebeens are destroying the social fabric of the community.Now everybody sleeps well,” he said.”The Police don’t make the laws, we enforce them and complaints can only be dealt with in a court of law.”This sentiment was echoed on Thursday by Wilson Billawer, Walvis Bay municipal officer in the Town Planning Department, at the annual general meeting of the town’s chapter of the Namibian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI).Billawer said it is unacceptable that there is one shebeen for every hundred of the 37 000 residents of Kuisebmond.