Despite the closure of bars and night clubs as part of
measures to curb the spread of Covid-19, people continue to meet over drinks.
According to police, lockdown violation arrests comprise
mostly of liquor offences like public drinking, illegal parties and operation
of illegal beer drinking outlets.
Health bodies such as the World Health Organisation (WHO)
have associated alcohol consumption to a number of communicable and
noncommunicable diseases that can make a person more vulnerable to catching
Covid-19.
The health body says drinking alcohol can increase the risk
of catching Covid-19 as the immune system is weakened by alcohol, especially
for heavy drinkers and also reduces ability to cope with infectious diseases,
among other downsides.
In Bulawayo, people continue to flout lockdown regulations
by drinking in public, especially at shopping centres, while others drink from
cars, seemingly unaware of the threat of Covid-19 infections.
Some groups in society have since called for an alcohol
sales ban, with the belief that the move will help lower Covid-19 transmissions
in the country.
A Matshobane suburb resident, Mr Alex Moyo called for
Government to introduce an alcohol ban, as shebeens and house parties have
become a problem in his area.
“Government must just ban alcohol sales. Bars are closed
but shebeens are a menace in the suburbs. While the noise from the music is not
so much as they fear raids, patrons urinate in our driveways, and their cars
block our gates. The best is to stop all alcohol sales until this situation
improves. They will spread this virus right across the city. A drunk person is
more likely to disregard Covid-19 rules like social distancing or regular
sanitisation,” said Mr Moyo.
Mrs Saneliso Zondo said an alcohol ban would be welcome as
revellers were exposing community members to Covid-19.
“We need the ban. People spend the day drinking in groups
and playing cat and mouse with the police. At night they come home, exposing us
to Covid-19. In the morning, we go to the boreholes to fetch water, we interact
with other people, and it will be a matter of time before the whole community
has the virus. We want a more serious lockdown and a ban of alcohol,” she said.
Other residents however were against the idea, saying
people must act responsibly and be allowed to drink.
“What would we be as men, if we cannot drink. Under
lockdown, we are forced to stay at home, so we stay at home and do what, if we
cannot drink?” asked Mr Clarence Muneri.
Ms Geraldine Ncube said Zimbabweans must learn from South
Africa where a ban on alcohol sales had not yielded pleasant results and
Covid-19 cases continued to shoot up in the country.
“Just look at what happened in South Africa. Alcohol has
been banned twice, but cases are going up and are now competing with the top
five in the world. Government must just ensure people drink from home, and let
them be,” she said.
Industry leaders have however said an alcohol ban would
further dent an already struggling economy, as the country was dealing with the
effects of Covid-19.
An economist, Mr Reginald Shoko said while an alcohol ban
would bring sanity and make it easier to contain the virus, it was important to
keep the wheels of the economy moving.
“True, an alcohol ban may bring order and possibly lead to
lower numbers of local transmissions. However, alcohol on its own is a very big
industry. Banning this industry has repercussions for the economy. Already the
industry has taken a serious knock. Think about the livelihoods that are
benefitting from this industry, not all brewers will withstand the wave and be
able to resume operations after closure. Some may shut down for good, meaning
job losses for breadwinners. To totally ban alcohol is to shut down the industry,
an industry that also significantly contributes to the nation’s taxes. From a
health perspective, it works, but economically, it will not work. We cannot
kill the goose that lays the egg,” said Mr Shoko.
Mpilo Central Hospital clinical director and acting chief
executive officer Professor Solwayo Ngwenya said an alcohol ban was needed in
the country as dealing with “sober” people was better during a pandemic.
“This is a different time altogether. Economies may take a
knock, but they can recover in the future; we cannot recover human life.
Stringent lockdown measures such as alcohol bans are needed. We all need to
sober up about the situation we are facing. It has been seen that alcohol is
fueling the spread of the virus, so by all means, a temporary ban on alcohol
sales is necessary. Once intoxicated, people start sharing utensils, drinking
bottles calabashes, social distancing is not practised, masks are not worn as
mouths are exposed. It is chaotic. People do not drink from home. Even if bars
are closed, people are still meeting to drink in groups. While a ban on sales
will not completely stop the problem as people will devise means of getting
beer, it will certainly improve the situation that we are in,” said Prof
Ngwenya.
Zimbabwe Medical Association President Dr Francis Chiwora
said extreme actions such as alcohol bans were not going to yield fruits, due
to porous borders, but called for intensified surveillance and monitoring of
communities and increased awareness on the Covid-19 virus.
“An alcohol ban may not be the answer as people may still
find ways to get hold of beer, what is needed is intensified surveillance to
monitor that people do not drink in groups, that there are no house parties and
to continue spreading awareness on personal responsibility when it comes to the
virus,” said Dr Chiwora.
Police have expressed concern at the increasing number of
liquor offences during the lockdown, and have said they will not hesitate to
arrest violators.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul
Nyathi said a ban could be considered and called for residents to report any
lockdown violations especially people holding gatherings in their vicinities,
as they were putting communities at risk of contracting the virus. “We
encourage members of the public to comply with lockdown regulations. We are
worried by the number of violations, especially liquor offences which include
illegal house parties, the operation of shebeens and public drinking, when we
are on lockdown. Covid-19 is real, it kills and we will not hesitate to protect
society by arresting delinquents,” he said.
Asst Comm Nyathi noted that some people buy beer through
the backdoor at some bars which are operating despite being ordered to close.
“Some bars are illegally operating during this time and
people buy beer from there while some lock themselves inside bars and drink
from inside, pretending it is closed, some have been arrested,” he said. Chronicle
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