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THE highly intoxicating illicit banned alcohol packed in sachets popularly known as ‘‘Tujilijili’’ have resurfaced on the market and are on high demand, especially in Lusaka’s Bauleni township.
And some concerned residents from Bauleni have called on Lusaka City Council (LCC) and other law enforcing wings to curb the ever increasing sale of Tujilijili in the area.
The alcohol was banned by then Minister of Local Government and Housing Nkandu Luo under the administration of president Michael Sata after an outcry from the public that it was promoting alcoholism especially among the unemployed, youths and women.
Grace Maswau of Bauleni said the council must move in and rid the township of the spirits in sachets because people were getting drunk as early as 06.00 hrs.
She said under-age drinkers were consuming Tujilijili in large quantities because it was cheap.
Ms. Maswau said youths were now abusing the cheap alcohol which was readily available in taverns and markets.
And Jackson Kasonde, a resident of Twin Palm, said it was unfortunate that the illicit beer had resurfaced after Government and the local authority banned it.
Mr Kasonde called on the local authority to ensure that people involved in the trade of Tujilijili were brought to book because the beer was a social menace.
He said the council should ensure that they persecuted the people behind the sale of Tujilijili because the alcohol was too concentrated and people just took it without diluting.
LCC public relations manager Habeenzu Mulunda has called on people with information to come forward to help the council trace the origin of the alcohol.
Mr. Mulunda said kachasu, Tujilijili and some wines have been banned and those trading in them would face the wrath of the law.
Mr Habeenzu said LCC was doing everything possible to ensure that all those who were involved in the sale of illicit alcohol were brought to book.
He said there was need for Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) to ensure that they put stringent measures on the borders where most of the illicit liquor was being smuggled into the country.
Mr Habeenzu said ZRA had the mandate to stop importation of the sachets which were coming from Malawi and Tanzania.
“ZRA should ensure that they put up stringent measures because most people were smuggling the sachets from Malawi and Tanzania,” he said.
He said it was hard for the council to trace their origin because they were only confined in Lusaka and not any other town.
Mr Habeenzu said the council needed to cooperate with other stakeholders to bring sanity in Lusaka especially in places like Chibolya, Misisi and Bauleni townships.
[Zambia Daily Nation]
