CRACK DOWN ON BARS AND NIGHT CLUBS WELCOME
ALLOW me space in your newspaper to commend the Lusaka City Council (LCC) for closing bars and night clubs that are conducting business beyond their official regulated time.
As presently the law is clear, bars are supposed to open from 10:00hrs up to 22:00hrs and night clubs from 16hrs to 24hrs.
In other words, no drinking outlet is supposed to operate beyond past midnight.
Unfortunately this has not been the case as bar and night club owners have been breaking the law with impunity for a long time now – opening and closing at their own time.
Some bars, especially illegal ones in compounds, open as early as 6hrs and worse still promote underage drinking which is rampant in these drinking joints.
The law must be observed, therefore, the council should continue with the crackdown without fear or favour on businesses breaking the rules.
My observation is that we have adequate laws in place but the drawback is those charged with the responsibility of enforcing the rules have to some extent failed to effectively discharge their duties.
Youths lazing around and imbibing from morning to sunset and resorting to abusive language is the order of the day as though we were not in a Christian nation.
Police should work hand in hand with LCC and arrest youths found drinking as early as 6hrs as well as those found walking about with bottles of beer in public because it is not only illegal but morally wrong.
I encourage the council not to relent in their efforts, knowing that the exercise will be met with resistance from greedy bar and night club owners.
Eugene V. Kapoza Lusaka