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A shebeen (sibín) was originally an illicit bar or club where excisable alcoholic beverages were sold without a licence.

The term has spread far from its origins in Ireland, to Scotland, Canada, the United States, England, Zimbabwe, English-speaking Caribbean, Namibia, and South Africa.

In modern South Africa, many "shebeens" are now fully legal.

The word derives from Irish sibín, meaning 'illicit whisky'.

South Africa
In South Africa and Zimbabwe, shebeens are most often located in black townships as an alternative to pubs and bars, where under apartheid and the Rhodesian era, black Africans could not enter a pub or bar reserved for whites.

Originally, shebeens were operated illegally, selling homebrewed and home-distilled alcohol and providing patrons with a place to meet and discuss political and social issues. Often, patrons and owners were arrested by the police, though the shebeens were frequently reopened because of their importance in unifying the community and providing a safe place for discussion. During the apartheid era shebeens became a crucial meeting place for activists, some attracting working class activists and community members, while others attracted lawyers, doctors and musicians.

Shebeens also provided music and dancing, allowing patrons to express themselves culturally, which helped give rise and support the musical genre kwaito. Currently, shebeens are legal in South Africa and have become an integral part of South African urban culture, serving commercial beers as well as umqombothi, a traditional African beer made from maize and sorghum. Shebeens still form an important part of today’s social scene. In contemporary South Africa, they serve a function similar to juke joints for African Americans in the rural south. They represent a sense of community, identity, and belonging.

Today, they appeal to South Africa’s youth, and are mostly owned by men. Shebeens are bouncing back as South Africans try to preserve some of their cultural heritage.

United States
In the United States, the word shebeen saw general use by Irish immigrants who worked in the anthracite patches of Pennsylvania.

Namibia
Any place that sells alcohol, but does not own a liquor licence is regarded as a shebeen in Namibia. At the beginning of the year 2012, the City of Windhoek has ordered all shebeens to be closed down, in order to increase crime prevention. Many citizens were against this bylaw due a number of reasons. These shebeens create jobs for some people in society, enabling them to provide for their needs and wants, as wel as those of their family members. It is also the earnings of the shebeens that pay some children’s school fees. The people who are employed in these shebeens, could have been in the streets begging and stealing other people’s properties, but are kept busy at their work places. Although some people may use the shebeens for the wrong reasons, there are some individuals who go there just to relax and socialize with peers. Shebeens are very good employment providers in the country which then contributes to income tax from employees, as well as indirectly contribute to other taxes when they buy, the goods they sell, from larger companies like Namibia Breweries Limited. The proponents of shebeens are precise to say that shebeens create jobs and sustain families, who are otherwise unable to fend for themselves or send their kids to school. However, there’s no doubt that poverty and unemployment are some of the contributing factors to alcohol-related crimes. Alcohol and drugs are causing a serious and dangerous havoc to the Namibian society. Abuse and misuse of alcohol and drugs affects human memory, judgment and perception. It is therefore the major cause of the sudden evil doings affecting the Namibian society. Road accidents are on the increase in Namibia and it is mostly caused by excessive drinking of drivers, who end up driving under the influence of alcohol. Crime rate in Namibia is also very high and it is all because of alcohol and drugs. Practices such as rape and unsafe sex, usually practiced under drugs and alcohol influence, lead to the increased prevalence of HIV-AIDS and unwanted pregnancies in the society. Factors such as peer pressure, lack of maturity and alcohol and drug abuse put some students at high risk of HIV infection. This can happen because students may have unprotected sex with multiple partners or while under the influence of alcohol and drugs.(Niikondo, 2012). “Bars are near our schools and homes and are open until the early hours of the morning,” (Shikongo, 2012). With the fact that these shebeens are usually in the vicinity of homes and schools, it only means that young children and students are exposed to heavy drinking and the attendant vices that come with it from the time they venture out of their parents’ houses. Shebeens have also contributed to low passing rates and lack of motivation among school goers. (Jan Poolman) states that, The Government is losing about N$12 million per week in revenue due to illicit trading in alcohol. In order to reduce the abuse and misuse of alcohol and drugs in society and maintain a suitable, safe and happy society, shebeens should not close down should rather set up progressive policies that will turn shebeen owners into formal business men and women in all sectors of the economy.