Thread: So is the name offensive?

i am not sure. its a difficult one. i see what you mean on both sides. but as n non namibia i don't think it is too offensive

when i first heard of this place the name Shebeen reminded me of a meeting place and distinctly Namibian

now shebeens in Namibia are getting a bad name and i think for the most part it is deserved.

i lived next to one for a short time .. it is not something i would like to experience ever again.

the name The Shebeen should stay

Yeaah, any sensible person should be able to abstract our digital community here from the stinking, brawly place every pub out there is in reality. Apart from being a place where people primarily meet to talk, like any other pub, to me a shebeen will also always have the flair of being subvervise in the sense that they were the boiling points in the the old anti-Apartheid days. So please, keep the name, because we need to be remindend of that spirit every day!

no keep it - it's alright. myabe some peeps will feel uncomfortable, but the point is it's where namibians meet, right? Reg ou pel.

Contrary to what I said above, I think you (or we) should indeed consider a name change.

Let me explain my turnaround. The other day I told my teenage niece to visit The Shebeen instead of pointlessly hanging around Youtube. Unfortunately, her grandmother overheard my suggestion and gave me heavily irritated looks. By the time I had explained to both of them what exactly The Shebeen was, the whole thing had lost any attraction to my niece. With a different name, this discussion could haven been avoided. And grandma did not believe my excuses anyway.

I am afraid the word shebeen has such bad connotations that the growth of this community will be hampered in the long run if it is not renamed. The problem is not confined to recruiting younger members. Even at the work place there is a problem. An unknowing boss will definitely think worse of you had s/he caught you on The Shebeen than on Facebook, even though both activities amount to the same thing.

Perhaps you, Shebeen, could run a competition again to crowd source a possible new name. Perhaps that one name so fitting, engaging, clean and safe for work would pop up that you would not mind going through all the troubles of renaming this site.

I take your point, Neo-RP. Thanks for your feedback and the suggestion of a competition. I've been mulling the idea for a while and think it is probably the best way forward. I agree with your assessment. So, let's run a Competition for a month. I'm we'll rise to the occasion and come up with a list of names.

Shebeen is nothing Namibian at all, so please do not worry, okay? In Jozi (Johannesburg, South Africa), Ireland, Zimbabwe and America (Pennsylvania), shebeen (sibín: Irish) is an illicit place (bar or pub like place) where excisable alcoholic beverages are sold without a licence, to everybody (from minor kids).

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

Originally, shebeens were operated illegally, selling homebrewed alcohol and providing patrons with a gathering place where they could 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 shebeens became a crucial place for activists to meet, some attracting lower 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 eventually 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 home beer made from millet. 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 are legally operated and appeal to Africa’s youth, ages 18-24, mostly owned by men.

Shebeens are bouncing back as South Africans try to preserve some of their rich cultural heritage. Shebeens are a custom in the black community that will be passed on from one generation to the next, and like any custom they are susceptible to change in order to fit new lifestyles.

On the contrary, in New York, you willl find Molly’s Shebeen, which is an Irish word which roughly translates to something we would call a Speakeasy, first operated as a tavern before the turn of the last century, with only Prohibition stopping the flow of good libations. It is a remarkably atmospheric place that simply defines the best of what makes an Irish pub. There is good beer, great storytelling, and simple yet tasty comfort food. All in all, it was the perfect place for a budding pub-fanatic to spend his first fully-legal Saint Patrick’s Day, and his first journey to Manhattan’s taverns. After hours of drinking and laughing, I was sad to leave. I may have been nearly legless on my way out, after all I was 22 and it was Saint Patrick’s Day, but I remember looking back and saying to my friend “I’ll never forget that place”. And I never did.

It is up to you to decide what is offensive, sorry ... that decision I can not make for you.