Firms to service machinery during shutdown

The shutdown has become routine over the years and is meant to allow workers time to be with their families during Christmas and New Year festivities while those involved in plant and machinery maintenance have time to work on the machines.

Hilmax operations director Mr Patrick Musavaya said his company was closing down for the holidays on Friday next               week and will resume operations on 3 January.
He however, said those involved in the maintenance and servicing of plant and equipment will be at work throughout the festivities taking advantage of the shutdown by most companies.

The engineering firm is headquartered in Harare and has branches in other parts of the country such as Bulawayo, Ngezi, Bindura and Zvishavane.
“We are closing on 16 December and open on 3 January. During the shutdown we will have a dedicated team of technicians that will be servicing equipment for our clients who are mostly mining companies. Most of our clients will be closed during the festive season and thus we will take this opportunity to service their plants,” he said.

Zimbabwe Grain Bag factory manager Mr Cladius Chiguru said they would be closing on 21 December and resuming operations on 4 January.
Zimbabwe Grain Bag produces packaging material for products such as maize, fertiliser and other agro-foods.

He said: “This time around, we have cut short our annual shutdown to less than a month that we normally have because we have a backlog of orders. We have requested our workers to return on 4 January so that we are able to meet our customers’ deadline,” he said.

Pretoria Portland Cement managing director Mr Zak Limbada said: “Our Colleen Bawn plant does not shut down for the festive season because this is where our product comes from. A skeleton staff will be on throughout the festivities to keep the plant running.

“It means we will only be shutting down the Bulawayo plant in order to service plant and equipment.”
One of the business organisations’ representative bodies, the Association for Business in Zimbabwe (Abuz) said their members normally shut down mid-December to allow for servicing of plant and machinery.

“So far, we haven’t received information on when most of our members are shutting down but when they close the workers and directors will be like they are on annual leave,” said Abuz chief executive officer Mr Lucky Mlilo.