Impose Stricter Regulations, Lift Alcohol Ban
The explanation that people can cross over to neighbouring South Africa to buy alcoholic beverages, as long as they declare items at the border, seems to have ignited an interesting debate on social media. While the current ban is strictly on the sale of alcohol locally, many people were not aware that one is not restricted from crossing into the country with the allowed quantities of alcoholic beverages from their trips to neighbouring countries.
Those who dared to buy alcohol made it a point to hide it and keep their fingers crossed that they would not be subjected to the random checks at the border gates. Some countries when banning or suspending the sale of alcohol, they add another clause that talks to a temporary ban on the importation of alcoholic beverages. The temporary ban on the sale of alcohol has affected more livelihoods than most people seem to realise. The alcohol industry employs many citizens. Simply put, many families have been struggling to put food on the table due to the ban on the sale of alcohol.
The sale of alcohol forced many places to also temporarily close, these include bars, bottle stores, and some sit-in restaurants. The biggest beverage manufacturing company in the country, which employs many Batswana recently announced that it could no longer afford to pay its employees with the prolonged ban on the sale of alcohol. As such, it will have to suspend some of its employees’ contracts and only remain with skeletal staff.
Most commentators on Facebook are questioning the logic of banning the sale of alcohol in the country, but allowing individuals to go and purchase alcohol in neighbouring countries! To some this may not mean much, but the alcohol industry is a major player in the country’s economy, evidenced by the amount of money collected by government following the introduction of the hefty alcohol levy. The money that could have been circulating locally is now going to our neighbours, and what does that mean for the economy, which has seriously been dented by the COVID-19 pandemic! Our neighbours are enjoying good trade at the expense of many families, who have been rendered jobless by the ban on the sale of alcohol. Everyone is aware that COVID-19 has unleashed an unprecedented crisis, causing the loss of lives and livelihoods, and we do understand that government takes certain decisions to save lives and try to curb the spread of the virus. Unfortunately, the death rate and rate of infection continued to climb with the ban in place. Isn’t it time for the government to perhaps introduce stricter measures and lift the ban on alcohol? It looks like the ban is not accomplishing much as people continue to be infected and many are dying due to COVID-19 related complications!