Why should booze cop all the blame?

It is understandable that so many people panicked yesterday at the viral WhatsApp voice note claiming the government was going to reintroduce prohibition because of the dreadful abuse of alcohol since the booze ban was lifted.

It’s not so much that we’re a nation of desperate drunkards, it’s just that we’ve seen this ANC movie before … and we don’t like the ending. It seems the message was fake, but there are ominous signs that our protectors were so impressed with what they achieved in the previous bans that they’re seriously talking now about more restrictions, outside the Covid-19 emergency.

Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula blames the demon drink for the carnage on our roads and hints that soon a policy of zero tolerance will see the alcohol limit for drivers reduced to zero. The Automobile Association agrees that this would be a good move: you either drink or drive, but not both, it says. That line of thinking ignores two realities.

First, a reduction to zero in the legal limit will only encourage the already thriving bribery industry in law enforcement. And secondly, it will do nothing to stop the fake licences and ignorance which are the main reasons we kill each other on our roads.

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