BOTTLE STORE OWNED BY COP OPENS EVERY DAY, CLOSES LATE

SITEKI - Alcohol imbibers at KaMzilikazi in Siteki do not have to stock their favourite drinks for weekends as a bottle store run by a police officer operates every day.

This publication first received a tip-off about the matter at the beginning of the month and last Saturday, a visit to the place was made.  The officer operates Amahle Bottle Store, which is situated on the outskirts of Siteki town. At the bottle store, this publication found that it operates more like a bar since the operator allows imbibers to drink around the place, including under a shelter at the establishment. The bottle store in question is of the same size of a standard one-room and since a lot of space was taken by the stock, alcohol beer quarts is sold through the window, while cases are sold via the door.

Enjoying

Imbibers, who were not wearing face masks, were found enjoying their alcoholic beverages around the place and some of them were sitting outside in their cars which were parked in front of the bottle store. This publication spent about three hours at the premises of the bottle store and people were buying alcoholic beverages as if it were a ‘normal day’. By normal day the reporter is reffering to as if COVID-19 did not exist.
According to the sources, the bottle store had been operating every day since government banned the sale of liquor early this year. They alleged that it opened around 9am and closed late at night.  “On busy days, it closes after midnight,” said one of the sources. Again, the sources who tipped off this publication about the matter, said their concern was that they also found people below the age of 18 years at the bottle store.  “We also find women breastfeeding their babies while enjoying their alcoholic beverages,” claimed one of the sources.

The sources alleged that the place was toxic to the community as there were other businesses in the complex, which attracted young people, who then observed things that were not good for their eyes and mind. In terms of COVID-19 protocols, the sources said no one monitored the wearing of face masks and that social distancing was observed at all times. They added that there was also no sanitiser or hand-washing facility and this publication confirmed this by sending one of its staff members to ask to use the bathroom, which is not even there. Again, this publication talked to some of the people who run businesses next to the bottle store and they expressed a litany of concerns, including land pollution. They said during their operation hours (during the day), the concern they had was that the imbibers made noise for their customers, especially on weekends.

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