An age-gap war has broken out at shebeens in some Cape Town townships and owners are turning young people away because they often become violent, noisy or rude.
The friction turned tragic when two teenage boys were stoned to death, possibly by an angry mob of drinkers, after trying to force their way into a shebeen in Khayelitsha last Sunday.
Anele Kholisa, 18, and Banele Montile, 17, started arguing with the owner, demanding to be let inside, and the situation became nasty.
When police arrived they found the bodies of the two teenagers lying covered in blood with a concrete slab nearby. Nobody has yet been arrested in connection with the double murder.
Superintendent Andre Traut said police regarded the stoning incident "as an isolated matter, rather than a trend in the townships".
"Alcohol abuse is a contributing factor to violence and therefore contributes to serious assaults and murders."
But the owner of another shebeen in Langa, who asked to remain anonymous, said shebeen owners definitely preferred older patrons and some had even banned young people.
"I have been running my business for a long time so I have come to know my customers very well. I prefer the older folks because they want to enjoy their drinks, listen to music, braai and talk about sport.
"The young ones like to pick fights, they want to argue over nothing once they have had one too many drinks."
The owner said she understood the problem of young people drinking too much but she also needed to earn a living.
"I have a trading licence, I can't afford to lose it, which is why I try to sell responsibly. I allow them to buy if they are of legal age but they (young people) know that they are not allowed to drink here."
A regular at the shebeen added: "How can we hang out with our children? Even if we know that they drink, we can't hang out at the same spot. They must find their own drinking place."
"It is also about cultural values; my culture does not allow me to drink with my children because we see that as a sign of disrespect."
Another patron at the shebeen, Buti Ngalo, said young people tended to think they were "cool" when they drank and because they wanted to fit in with their peers, they succumbed to pressure and ended up abusing alcohol.
An owner at another Langa shebeen, who also asked not to be named, said it was important to keep to regular trading hours, know the young people in the area and respect other residents' space.
"As you can see my shebeen is not far from a school so I do not trade during school hours. I would not want a situation where schoolkids bunk classes and come to drink at my place so I am strict about the way I operate my shebeen."
He said he was a community leader and therefore understood the rules that needed to be followed.
"I have heard about incidents where young people have either stabbed each other or fought over a girl; that is why security is one of the priorities in my shebeen." - Cape Argus
The friction turned tragic when two teenage boys were stoned to death, possibly by an angry mob of drinkers, after trying to force their way into a shebeen in Khayelitsha last Sunday.
Anele Kholisa, 18, and Banele Montile, 17, started arguing with the owner, demanding to be let inside, and the situation became nasty.
When police arrived they found the bodies of the two teenagers lying covered in blood with a concrete slab nearby. Nobody has yet been arrested in connection with the double murder.
Superintendent Andre Traut said police regarded the stoning incident "as an isolated matter, rather than a trend in the townships".
"Alcohol abuse is a contributing factor to violence and therefore contributes to serious assaults and murders."
But the owner of another shebeen in Langa, who asked to remain anonymous, said shebeen owners definitely preferred older patrons and some had even banned young people.
"I have been running my business for a long time so I have come to know my customers very well. I prefer the older folks because they want to enjoy their drinks, listen to music, braai and talk about sport.
"The young ones like to pick fights, they want to argue over nothing once they have had one too many drinks."
The owner said she understood the problem of young people drinking too much but she also needed to earn a living.
"I have a trading licence, I can't afford to lose it, which is why I try to sell responsibly. I allow them to buy if they are of legal age but they (young people) know that they are not allowed to drink here."
A regular at the shebeen added: "How can we hang out with our children? Even if we know that they drink, we can't hang out at the same spot. They must find their own drinking place."
"It is also about cultural values; my culture does not allow me to drink with my children because we see that as a sign of disrespect."
Another patron at the shebeen, Buti Ngalo, said young people tended to think they were "cool" when they drank and because they wanted to fit in with their peers, they succumbed to pressure and ended up abusing alcohol.
An owner at another Langa shebeen, who also asked not to be named, said it was important to keep to regular trading hours, know the young people in the area and respect other residents' space.
"As you can see my shebeen is not far from a school so I do not trade during school hours. I would not want a situation where schoolkids bunk classes and come to drink at my place so I am strict about the way I operate my shebeen."
He said he was a community leader and therefore understood the rules that needed to be followed.
"I have heard about incidents where young people have either stabbed each other or fought over a girl; that is why security is one of the priorities in my shebeen." - Cape Argus
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