Shebeen owners agree to go home

PROTESTING shebeen owners, who have camped outside Parliament for more than a week because they oppose the Liquor Act, yesterday started packing their bags to return home.

Their decision to leave came shortly after a meeting late on Thursday night between the Namibia Shebeens’ Association (Nasa) leadership, Minister of Trade and Industry Immanuel Ngatjizeko, Minister of Regional and Local Government John Pandeni and Justice Minister Pendukeni Ivula-Ithana. Demonstrators, who want Government to give them the go-ahead to re-open their unlicensed shebeens, started the trek home to their respective regions on Saturday.Nearly eight years after the Liquor Act (1998) was passed, shebeen owners charge that they do not understand the legislation.They feel that some of the conditions of the legislation are too harsh.Speaking to The Namibian yesterday, Namibia Shebeens Association (Nasa) President Veripi Kandenge said they had decided to give Government time to deliberate on the issue.”We’re happy to see that a lot of movement has taken place since the demonstrations started.The Inter-Ministerial Committee [set up by President Pohamba in response to a petition by demonstrators early this month] is discussing the matter, so we thought it would be wise to leave now,” Kandenge said.A few demonstrators still remained in the parking area at Parliament yesterday afternoon, but Kandenge said this was simply because of “logistics”.”We’ve made arrangements, and we’re just waiting for some buses we agreed with.Many of the people are from the northern parts of the country,” he said.According to a press statement issued by the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) released yesterday, Attorney General Ithana explained to Nasa leaders that they were not helping their cause by continuing to lobby President Pohamba as he had not drawn up the Liquor Act.Police have started to clamp down on illegal shebeens since the beginning of the year.Shebeen owners are protesting a number of stipulations in the law: they claim it is discriminatory towards poor people, and that they had not been properly educated about the legislation.”There was no public education.The law wasn’t even translated into local languages,” one protester claimed yesterday.”If they did, then to who?” Asked about why they were leaving yesterday, many demonstrators were of one view.”Government has admitted to their mistake.There is a problem with the Act, and they agreed to work on it.So we’ll withdraw for now, but you can say we’re on standby.We can still come back,” said one protester who did not want to be identified.Demonstrators, who want Government to give them the go-ahead to re-open their unlicensed shebeens, started the trek home to their respective regions on Saturday.Nearly eight years after the Liquor Act (1998) was passed, shebeen owners charge that they do not understand the legislation.They feel that some of the conditions of the legislation are too harsh.Speaking to The Namibian yesterday, Namibia Shebeens Association (Nasa) President Veripi Kandenge said they had decided to give Government time to deliberate on the issue. “We’re happy to see that a lot of movement has taken place since the demonstrations started.The Inter-Ministerial Committee [set up by President Pohamba in response to a petition by demonstrators early this month] is discussing the matter, so we thought it would be wise to leave now,” Kandenge said.A few demonstrators still remained in the parking area at Parliament yesterday afternoon, but Kandenge said this was simply because of “logistics”.”We’ve made arrangements, and we’re just waiting for some buses we agreed with.Many of the people are from the northern parts of the country,” he said.According to a press statement issued by the National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) released yesterday, Attorney General Ithana explained to Nasa leaders that they were not helping their cause by continuing to lobby President Pohamba as he had not drawn up the Liquor Act.Police have started to clamp down on illegal shebeens since the beginning of the year.Shebeen owners are protesting a number of stipulations in the law: they claim it is discriminatory towards poor people, and that they had not been properly educated about the legislation.”There was no public education.The law wasn’t even translated into local languages,” one protester claimed yesterday.”If they did, then to who?” Asked about why they were leaving yesterday, many demonstrators were of one view.”Government has admitted to their mistake.There is a problem with the Act, and they agreed to work on it.So we’ll withdraw for now, but you can say we’re on standby.We can still come back,” said one protester who did not want to be identified.