H-Metro Reporters
A CARTEL of businesspeople, who include both locals and foreigners, have transformed themselves into some form of godfathers, who are above the law, and are turning the Harare CBD into a theatre of bottle stores.
Harare City officials estimate that there are, at least, 30 bottle stores around the Harare CBD area and the majority of them are backdoor unlicensed outlets.
Those who are licensed have been violating the terms of their licences which say that they should open at 9am and close at 8pm with many of them opening their shops until around midnight.
“They have become some sort of night clubs,” a Harare resident told H-Metro yesterday.
“The only difference is that they don’t have toilets and they allow even those boys who are Under-18 to come in and buy alcohol.
“It’s a mess of a situation because the streets have been turned into public toilets.
“Cars park in the middle of the streets and the music is always blasting at high volume and one gets an impression that these people, who run these bottle stores, are well connected to some people who make them ignore the laws.”
Last night, Harare City Council officials raided the bottle stores and found many still operating long after 8pm.
“They issued them with fines and gave them letters to abide by the terms of their licences or they will face tougher punishment from today.”
Council spokesman, Stan Gama, told H-Metro:
“We had four teams on the ground and we were surprised by the number of bottle stores dotted around the Harare CBD.
“We told the owners that they have to abide by what their licences say and that we will not allow the city to be turned into a beer drinking jungle.
“We will liaise with the police because, according to the Liquor Act, they are the ones who are empowered with closing these outlets and we are investigating how they were given their trading licences.
“They are disturbing peace in the CBD and we are going to restore order. They are mushrooming everywhere and they are even allowing kids to buy alcohol from their stores and drink from there.”
In October last year, the Liquor Licence Board noted that the bottle store owners were turning the CBD into a form of a Wild West area.
“Bottle stores are strictly takeaway shops and do not allow for the consumption of alcohol on the premises.
“The board is also concerned over the sprouting of unlicensed outlets that have become hubs of illicit brews.
“The board will continue to work with law enforcement agents to ensure that culprits are arrested and prosecuted.
“For avoidance of doubt, below are the days and operating hours for licenced outlets as stipulated in the SI 197 of 2004.”
According to the SI, liquor licences for bottle stores say such outlets may operate any day between 8am and 8pm.
According to the Liquor Act, a bottle liquor licence shall authorise the sale of liquor on the licensed premises on such days and at such times as may be prescribed, for consumption off— (a) the licensed premises; and (b) any premises or place occupied or controlled by the licensee which are adjoining or near the licensed premises. “
The Act also empowers the police to seize all the alcohol in the bottle stores whose owners would be flouting the laws of the country.