Fresh complaints regarding entertainment joints in Maun causing excessive noise pollution have emerged, with the police calling upon the North-West District Council to urgently review and tighten its noise and nuisance bye-laws.
This comes as authorities complain that the current regulatory framework lacks the necessary teeth to deter repeat offenders, leaving the tourism hub vulnerable to unchecked sound pollution.
According to the Officer Commanding District No. 5, Senior Superintendent Patrick Molefhe, the Maun Police Station has experienced a sharp spike in public complaints regarding noise disturbances, with the primary culprits identified as residential bars.
Molefhe said that while they frequently respond to late-night complaints, gaps in the existing council bye-laws limit their capacity for long-term deterrence. He explained that some of these bars even play loud music well beyond their permitted operating hours.
“Currently, the law often results in minor fines or standard warnings, which commercial violators treat merely as a cost of doing business,” he said.
Key recommendations raised by Molefhe include stricter noise permits and immediate license revocations. He urged the council to enforce strict cut-off times and to immediately suspend or permanently cancel the operating permits of establishments that repeatedly breach these protocols.
Meanwhile, during a consultative meeting on the review of the Liquor Amendment Bill 2025 held at Boseja Kgotla in Maun last October, the Minister of Trade and Entrepreneurship, Tiroeaone Ntsima, revealed that the new law will impose stricter regulations on liquor outlets while simultaneously promoting the ease of doing business.
He indicated that the bill proposes to make it mandatory for every liquor outlet that plays music to install a soundproof system so that the noise does not affect people living in nearby residential areas. Ntsima also noted that the bill intends to introduce strict measures for selling alcohol to minors, operating beyond trading hours, and other offences related to alcohol sale and consumption.
He stated that the bill considers reducing the current minimum distance from 500 metres to 250 metres between liquor outlets and schools, highways, major roads, and churches. Ntsima added that the bill also aims to reduce the waiting period for acquiring liquor licenses to ensure a smoother environment for commerce.
“Currently, the Liquor Act prohibits the issuance of new liquor licenses to bars, clubs, discotheques, and nightclubs on premises which are less than 500 metres away from schools, highways, major roads, and churches,” he said.
He explained that his Ministry consulted various stakeholders to draft the Liquor Amendment Bill of 2025, which seeks to address the operational challenges identified during the implementation of the current act.
