Trade union takes issue with Police over shebeen closures

THE Trade Union Congress of Namibia (TUCNA) has condemned the Police clampdown on illegal shebeens in the Erongo and Karas regions.

TUCNA demanded that the involved parties should immediately stop with the clamping down on shebeens, since this promoted unemployment. In a press statement released last week, TUCNA President Paulus Hango said the manner in which the Namibian Police and local authorities decided to raid illegal shebeens was unacceptable.”Such actions create havoc that will severely and detrimentally affect the small-scale business operators,” he said.Hango said failure by municipalities to develop business areas contributed to the growth of illegal shebeens.”The root cause in this country which forces poverty-stricken people to concentrate on informal sectors is the municipalities’ failure to develop business areas resulting in illegal backyard operations,” he said.He said that the Liquor Act made it clear that illegal shebeens should be regarded as part of the informal economy since they created self-employment.”Let us make the Liquor Act user-friendly, which is not the case today,” he urged.He blamed the rapid increase of informal sectors on the ‘exorbitant’ business erven levies that municipalities charge.Levies range from N$300 000 upwards.Hango called on municipalities to reduce business erven levies to encourage the establishment of proper businesses in the formal sector.He disagreed that illegal shebeens had become a ‘haven of crime’.He said that the evil of unemployment was the root cause of escalating crime in the country.Hango questioned why the Liquor Act was only applicable to the Karas and Erongo regions and not across the country.He suggested that the number of shebeens be limited, minimum hygienic standards be maintained and that noise pollution be controlled.In a press statement released last week, TUCNA President Paulus Hango said the manner in which the Namibian Police and local authorities decided to raid illegal shebeens was unacceptable.”Such actions create havoc that will severely and detrimentally affect the small-scale business operators,” he said.Hango said failure by municipalities to develop business areas contributed to the growth of illegal shebeens.”The root cause in this country which forces poverty-stricken people to concentrate on informal sectors is the municipalities’ failure to develop business areas resulting in illegal backyard operations,” he said.He said that the Liquor Act made it clear that illegal shebeens should be regarded as part of the informal economy since they created self-employment.”Let us make the Liquor Act user-friendly, which is not the case today,” he urged.He blamed the rapid increase of informal sectors on the ‘exorbitant’ business erven levies that municipalities charge.Levies range from N$300 000 upwards.Hango called on municipalities to reduce business erven levies to encourage the establishment of proper businesses in the formal sector.He disagreed that illegal shebeens had become a ‘haven of crime’.He said that the evil of unemployment was the root cause of escalating crime in the country.Hango questioned why the Liquor Act was only applicable to the Karas and Erongo regions and not across the country.He suggested that the number of shebeens be limited, minimum hygienic standards be maintained and that noise pollution be controlled.