Andrew Kathindi
Khomas Regional Commander of the Namibian Police, Joseph Shikongo has warned that reckless behavior as a result of irresponsible alcohol consumption could cause of the rest of the country to revert Stage 1 lockdown regulations.
At midnight 01 June, Walvis Bay was forced to revert to stage 1 lockdown regulations while the rest of the country progressed to stage 3. The president’s announcement attributed this action to increased COVID-19 cases in the harbor town.
On Monday, June 8th, President Hage Geingob placed the entire Erongo region under lockdown. He took this action after official concluded that residents of Walvis Bay failed to adhere to lockdown measures.
The Police Commander’s claims that increased crime reports, (many of them alcohol-related), have swept the nation since the 2 June. That was the first full day when the ban on alcohol was lifted everywhere except for Walvis Bay.
Personally, I think the police, in general, were more at ease with the alcohol ban. [Our work] was easier because, during that period of three months, there were almost no alcohol-related crimes reported. But I think with the return of alcohol, it really has become a challenge. The complete State of Emergency goes for six months until September. Our [progression] to stage 4 will be determined by our behavior in stage 3. And if we’re not careful, we see now what’s happened to Erongo. The entire region has gone back to stage 1. At first, it was only the municipality of Walvis Bay that was restricted. An extension can happen to Khomas and the rest of the country.”
Shikongo speculated that adherence to the legal restrictions under the current re-opening stages will determine [the advancement to] the final stage. The Commander said that progress will depend on how people deal with liquor, social behavior in public spaces, and mask-wearing regulations.
Commander Shikongo noted that Gender Based Violence (GBV) crimes such as rape and domestic abuse are related to alcohol abuse. He stated that the matter of alcohol consumption was complex as the sale of alcohol is tied to the recovery of the Namibian economy.
“When we talk about the challenges of alcohol consumption, we should not just focus on the shebeens, but we should look at the bigger picture. Businesses are paying taxes, such as Namibia Breweries Limited (NBL), SAB Miller Namibia, and others. These enterprises are employing many people and contributing to the economy. They are not only trading locally but they are exporting to other countries, which is, of course, a source of income. Therefore, when you look at it you should not only look at the people who are causing the problem because it’s just part of the economic revival of Namibia,” he told the Windhoek Observer.
He continued his threat, “But we will not hesitate to act if tomorrow we wake up and then we see things are not well. If the health condition in the country is not the level where we want it, we can just go back and say, okay look here, no alcohol.”
This comes as the Self-Regulating Alcohol Industry Forum (SAIF) Namibia, a grouping of alcohol sellers, claims that the domestic economy lost N$970 million due to the nationwide ban of alcohol in stage 1 and stage 2 from 17 March until 2 June. No details on how this figure was calculated were offered.
“The impact and importance of the alcohol sector to the Namibian economy cannot be underestimated. We are elated to continue contributing to the local economy through employment, taxes, and other fees paid,” said Celeste Carstens, Chairperson of the SAIF Namibia.
She added, “Cognisant of the significance of this sector to the economy, we implore all consumers to approach this re-opening with a sense of responsibility. Our behaviour and actions speak volumes in addressing and overcoming the effect of this pandemic. Therefore we need to join hands and stand together in taking the necessary steps to keep it under control.”
Extensions or imposition of official states of emergencies are not determined by the police, but the President of the Republic of Namibia on advice of the relevant ministries.
