Shebeen showdown

THE Namibian Police and City Police yesterday afternoon initially blocked demonstrating shebeen owners from marching to Parliament to deliver a petition to the Speaker of the National Assembly.

However, after lengthy negotiations between the demonstrators, leaders and the Police, the marchers were eventually allowed to proceed to Parliament where they handed over a petition to Speaker Theo-Ben Gurirab, who was accompanied by National Council Chairperson Asser Kapere. The shebeen owners, who came from all 13 regions of the country, were protesting against the closure of shebeens which do not have liquor licences.Law enforcers blocked a section of Fidel Castro Street on which the shebeen owners were marching to the Parliament buildings.They sang liberation songs, waved their fists in the air and held aloft placards as they marched.”We do not want hunger,” read one placard.”All the bars be re-opened,” read another.Benny Petrus, a representative of the Namibia Shebeen Association (Nasa) in Erongo Region shouted: “We elect them to listen to us.They are there because of us.”This referred to members of Parliament, who were in session at the time.”We travelled long distances to come here.If they do not want [to listen to] us, we will sleep [here],” an agitated Petrus, told hundreds of demonstrators, some of whom were sitting on the road.But the Police held firm.Nasa President Veripi Kandenge asked Police to allow them to proceed to the Parliament buildings to hand over a petition but Police refused.He said that the authorities had been notified of the march and could not understand why they were denied access to proceed to Parliament.Police Regional Commander for the Khomas Region Deputy Commissioner Sem Hochobeb told Kandenge and other Nasa leaders that they had orders to prevent them from marching to Parliament.He said only a group of the demonstrators’ leaders could proceed.But when one of the leaders conveyed this to the group, petitioners said it had been agreed that the group should proceed together to the building.Deputy Commissioner Hochobeb warned Kandenge that if the situation turned ugly, the Police would be forced to take action.Petrus then took a loud speaker and told the group that if they were not allowed to go to Parliament, they would not leave.”We will demand blankets to sleep here,” he shouted.”They must give us jobs, if they want to close our shebeens,” said a woman.The Liquor Act of 1998 was first implemented in 2002 but the majority of shebeen owners have not applied for the required licences.At the beginning of this month, Government ordered Police to shut all unlicensed shebeens and cuca shops and to arrest owners who disobeyed the order.The Act stipulates that all people selling liquor should have licences.It further states that facilities such as two toilets, one for men and another for women, should be built.Some shebeen owners claim that Government has not properly explained conditions of the Act, while others say the process of getting licences was costly, complicated and difficult as there were not enough offices where they could apply for licences.In the petition, signed by Kandenge, the demonstrators said they were concerned that the implementation of the Liquor Act in its present form would leave thousands of people destitute as they would lose their only source of income.”A moratorium must be placed on the implementation of the Liquor Act of 1998 and the liquor regulations, until factors that impede effective and efficient compliance is sorted out,” states the petition.According to the petition between 300 000 and 500 000 people depended on shebeens for their livelihood and the closure of thousands of shebeens would create a socio-economic crisis that Namibia could ill-afford.Gurirab told the demonstrators that he would forward the petition to the President and to Cabinet, who would respond.But, the demonstrators were not happy with this.They demanded that Government reply immediately and threatened that they would reopen their businesses until a response was received.Kandenge and Petrus urged the marchers to disperse but they said they were determined to sleep at the Parliament buildings.At around 18h15, Trade and Industry Minister Andrew Ndishishi arrived.Ndishishi told the demonstrators that the President had received the petition and had immediately forwarded it the relevant Ministries.A joint Ministerial Committee has been set up act on the matter.He handed them a letter advising them to apply for liquor licences.He said his Ministry had also addressed the National Assembly on the issue.At the time of going to press, about 20 demonstrators were still at the Parliament buildings.The shebeen owners, who came from all 13 regions of the country, were protesting against the closure of shebeens which do not have liquor licences.Law enforcers blocked a section of Fidel Castro Street on which the shebeen owners were marching to the Parliament buildings.They sang liberation songs, waved their fists in the air and held aloft placards as they marched.”We do not want hunger,” read one placard.”All the bars be re-opened,” read another.Benny Petrus, a representative of the Namibia Shebeen Association (Nasa) in Erongo Region shouted: “We elect them to listen to us.They are there because of us.” This referred to members of Parliament, who were in session at the time.”We travelled long distances to come here.If they do not want [to listen to] us, we will sleep [here],” an agitated Petrus, told hundreds of demonstrators, some of whom were sitting on the road.But the Police held firm.Nasa President Veripi Kandenge asked Police to allow them to proceed to the Parliament buildings to hand over a petition but Police refused.He said that the authorities had been notified of the march and could not understand why they were denied access to proceed to Parliament.Police Regional Commander for the Khomas Region Deputy Commissioner Sem Hochobeb told Kandenge and other Nasa leaders that they had orders to prevent them from marching to Parliament.He said only a group of the demonstrators’ leaders could proceed.But when one of the leaders conveyed this to the group, petitioners said it had been agreed that the group should proceed together to the building.Deputy Commissioner Hochobeb warned Kandenge that if the situation turned ugly, the Police would be forced to take action.Petrus then took a loud speaker and told the group that if they were not allowed to go to Parliament, they would not leave.”We will demand blankets to sleep here,” he shouted.”They must give us jobs, if they want to close our shebeens,” said a woman.The Liquor Act of 1998 was first implemented in 2002 but the majority of shebeen owners have not applied for the required licences.At the beginning of this month, Government ordered Police to shut all unlicensed shebeens and cuca shops and to arrest owners who disobeyed the order.The Act stipulates that all people selling liquor should have licences.It further states that facilities such as two toilets, one for men and another for women, should be built.Some shebeen owners claim that Government has not properly explained conditions of the Act, while others say the process of getting licences was costly, complicated and difficult as there were not enough offices where they could apply for licences.In the petition, signed by Kandenge, the demonstrators said they were concerned that the implementation of the Liquor Act in its present form would leave thousands of people destitute as they would lose their only source of income.”A moratorium must be placed on the implementation of the Liquor Act of 1998 and the liquor regulations, until factors that impede effective and efficient compliance is sorted out,” states the petition.According to the petition between 300 000 and 500 000 people depended on shebeens for their livelihood and the closure of thousands of shebeens would create a socio-economic crisis that Namibia could ill-afford.Gurirab told the demonstrators that he would forward the petition to the President and to Cabinet, who would respond.But, the demonstrators were not happy with this.They demanded that Government reply immediately and threatened that they would reopen their businesses until a response was received.Kandenge and Petrus urged the marchers to disperse but they said they were determined to sleep at the Parliament buildings.At around 18h15, Trade and Industry Minister Andrew Ndishishi arrived.Ndishishi told the demonstrators that the President had received the petition and had immediately forwarded it the relevant Ministries.A joint Ministerial Committee has been set up act on the matter.He handed them a letter advising them to apply for liquor licences.He said his Ministry had also addressed the National Assembly on the issue.At the time of going to press, about 20 demonstrators were still at the Parliament buildings.