Twelve bars have been shut and 10 suspected underage patrons apprehended in a joint operation by the Lusaka City Council (LCC) public health inspectors, and council and State police.

The raid was conducted in Emmasdale and Garden townships where bar owner and patrons were caught off guard. LCC public relations manager George Sichimba said in a statement that the operation was aimed at enforcing compliance of liquor trading regulations. “The operation started at 22:00 hours on Friday last week and ended at 02:30 hours on Saturday,” he said.

Mr Sichimba said the affected bars were found operating outside stipulated hours, contrary to the liquor licensing regulations.
He said the law stipulates that bars and bottle stores should open no earlier than 10:00 hours and close no later than 22:00 hours.
“Night clubs/social clubs must open at 10:00 hours and close at 24:00 hours while wholesale liquor stores must open at 08:00 hours and close at 18:00 hours,” Mr Sichimba said.

Mr Sichimba said the only exempted establishments are hotels, lodges, guest houses, restaurants, boarding houses and camp sites, which can sell liquor at any time to clients lodging with them and people buying food at restaurants. He said the LCC is concerned that most liquor traders are not operating within the law.

Mr Sichimba said some bars were found admitting underage patrons while others were trading without liquor licences.
He said of the 10 suspected underage patrons, four were girls while six were boys.

“The young patrons were taken to Emmasdale and Garden Chilulu police stations for screening and further action,” Mr Sichimba said. He said the council will not relent in its quest to bring sanity in the city as well as prevent young people from alcohol abuse. In Livingstone, the local authority has closed seven bars for failure to operate within the stipulated time.

Livingstone City Council public relations manager Melvin Mukela said bar owners and operators trading beyond the stipulated closing time risk having their liquor licences revoked. Mr Mukela said the bar owners have each been fined K750 to be