Evil genie in this bottle

SESHEGO – WHEN it comes to substance abuse, a large number of people have a clear preference – alcohol.

Perfectly legal, easy to come by and socially sanctioned, alcohol abuse is said to be costing government over R18 billion each year in the form of road accidents, health costs and social services. Seshego police spokesperson, WO Mothemane Malefo, said as a result of alcohol abuse in areas like Blood River, Makgofe, Biko Park, Letsokoane and Mmotong wa Perekisi, the police were inundated with violent crimes.

Among the cases the police had to deal with as a result of alcohol abuse, were murder, rape, common assault and assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm, Malefo said.

He added that over the years, there had been a plethora of road carnage at the bridge over the Blood River stream, unfortunately as a result of drunk driving.

Malefo said they were gravely concerned about the escalating statistics of violent crimes as a result of excessive alcohol intake.

In his condemnation of this social malady, Malefo said: “it is very worrying that in most of our patrols, we find people drinking in public.

“What is even more disturbing is the escalating numbers of motorists who are caught driving under the influence of alcohol. Drunken driving does not only place the life of the drunk driver at risk, but also other road users, including pedestrians”.

Some women in the Blood River area start drinking in the early hours of the morning and continue until sunset. They pose no threat to other motorists, but are always involved in domestic squabbles, Malefo said.

“Liquor has a huge negative impact in most incidents of domestic violence. Almost every weekend when they have drunk too much alcohol, they end up engaging in domestic violence. We would like to appeal to couples and families to seek help if they cannot live normal lives without the use of alcohol.”

There was also a strong link between heavy drinking, multiple sex partners, casual sex and HIV/aids, she said.

Word around the rural villages outside Seshego is that some women prostitute themselves to get money to feed their alcoholism habit. A source, who opted to speak on the basis of anonymity, said: “most women here won’t care about getting HIV when they have had too much to drink and are less likely to take protective measures”. Asked about their penchant for heavy drinking, one of the women, with a bottle of beer in her hand said, “There is little we can do here… we are unemployed and out of school. What else do you think we can do, except for drinking the whole day? This is a daily routine and we are accustomed to it”.

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