Zimbabwe’s ban on alcohol sale is probably not the brightest idea

The Zimbabwe Republic Police in what is the usual thing the country randomly decided that the sale of alcohol would be banned during the 21-day lockdown in Zimbabwe.

In a statement it said:

The lockdown measures were clearly stated and in light of ensuring that we fight COVID-19, there will be no sale of alcohol at any point in places like bottle stores and supermarkets. This comes as we have realised that people who buy alcohol at supermarkets are giving us challenges. They buy and drink as groups, be it either in their vehicles or places of residence thereby defying social distancing.
Action will be taken on all those who will defy the order and sell alcohol at any bases. The police today (yesterday) started to take full action and will be visible on the ground throughout the lockdown.

Now, those yobs who drink in public are problematic. But the part where they say people are not practising social distancing in their places of residence is just plain weird.

But here is the thing. Just after the government has released prisoners for crimes, they have decided to create a completely new crime to arrest people for and jail them. This is never mind the fact that we are not sure how the cops can come up with a random decree like that.

What it opens up the system to is the bootlegging that will not suddenly end after 21 days. Decent, honest people who are already going bonkers locked in their homes, using alcohol as a coping mechanism will have to be classified as criminals because the police fancy having them all miserable and stuff. And note that once you have a successful bootlegging ring, it becomes an avenue even more sinister stuff.

If there were 100,000 people drinking in the streets and behaving disorderly because of alcohol then there would be a case for the ban. So it is essentially using a hammer to deal with a fly.