Rundu shebeen owners lay blame on council

AS the campaign to clamp down on illegal shebeens intensifies, shebeen owners at Rundu are blaming their town council for not assisting them quickly enough in getting the necessary legal approval.

No raids have yet occurred at the town, but Chairperson of the Kavango Shebeen Association Selestenus Shikerete maintained that if shebeens at the town were shut down for not having the required approval certificates, it would be because the town council was dragging their feet in approving applications for a fitness certificate. According to him, shebeen owners have gone through a lot of trouble to meet the required health standards by even building pit latrines where there are no proper sewerage facilities to build flush toilets, especially in the outlying areas.The Rundu Town Council has responded by saying that it was handling at least eight applications for fitness certificates even though it only had one health inspector to handle the work load.”The only thing that is taking time is because the shop is not up to standard.I can assure you from the health inspector that we are not delaying,” said spokesperson for the Rundu Town Council Benjamin Makayi.He said the town council was left to do the health inspections on its own, since the responsibility was no longer being shared with the Ministry of Health.The Ministry of Health however is still expected to issue fitness certificates to shebeens in the rural areas.Upon inquiry from The Namibian yesterday, the Rundu Town Council said it had rejected at least eight applications in the past month because the establishments did not meet the necessary standards.Shikerete claims that around 50 applications for fitness certificates were pending at Rundu.His association also represents shebeen owners in the Mukwe, Ndiyona and Nankudu areas.Without the fitness certificate, shebeen owners can not apply for a liquor licence.Shikerete estimates that in the Kavango Region at least 300 are unregistered.According to him, shebeen owners have gone through a lot of trouble to meet the required health standards by even building pit latrines where there are no proper sewerage facilities to build flush toilets, especially in the outlying areas.The Rundu Town Council has responded by saying that it was handling at least eight applications for fitness certificates even though it only had one health inspector to handle the work load.”The only thing that is taking time is because the shop is not up to standard.I can assure you from the health inspector that we are not delaying,” said spokesperson for the Rundu Town Council Benjamin Makayi.He said the town council was left to do the health inspections on its own, since the responsibility was no longer being shared with the Ministry of Health.The Ministry of Health however is still expected to issue fitness certificates to shebeens in the rural areas.Upon inquiry from The Namibian yesterday, the Rundu Town Council said it had rejected at least eight applications in the past month because the establishments did not meet the necessary standards.Shikerete claims that around 50 applications for fitness certificates were pending at Rundu.His association also represents shebeen owners in the Mukwe, Ndiyona and Nankudu areas.Without the fitness certificate, shebeen owners can not apply for a liquor licence.Shikerete estimates that in the Kavango Region at least 300 are unregistered.