By Joe-Chintha Garises
OKAHANDJA, April 21 – Hookah pipes, known locally as hubbly bubbly, have become of great concern to the National Assembly as the former gender equality and child welfare deputy minister, Lucia Witbooi, asked health minister, Kalumbi Shangula, to look into the health risks that comes with smoking hubbly in February.
While there is a notion to ban the use of hubbly products, entrepreneurs on the other hand have a different view.
Speaking to Peggy Sloa, who offers a rental service for hubbly pipes in Okahandja, she said that she is totally against the ban of hubbly as it generates an income not only for her but for her fellow entrepreneurs selling hubbly pipes and products.
She stated that as much as hubbly is viewed as having a negative effect on the youth, so do other products such as alcohol, for example.
Sloa, who is the owner of Peggy’s Hookah Rentals, says not only does this help her with her day-to-day income, but she has also been able to employ one person and is planning on hiring one more as the business grows. The fact that she has only been in this business for about two months, and is able to employ someone, makes her feel good because she creates financial stability for someone else.
“I can only control the usage when it’s a rental at a club because I see who makes use of it, for a full day or weekend rentals I do warn the clients about it,” she said when asked how she ensures that the hubbly is not sold to minors.
In regard to the government trying to ban hubbly she said: “I have other means of income but I can’t say the same about my employee, so I believe the government should also consider that”. – Namibia Daily News
