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Oliver Kazunga, Senior Business Reporter
THE Tourism Business Council of Zimbabwe (TBCZ) says it is deeply concerned by the Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers’ call for a national lockdown.
On Monday, the Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) issued a statement highlighting that it has noticed a general surge of Covid-19 cases in most parts of the country due to lack of physical distancing and disregard to wearing of masks.
It is in this context that CZR called on Government to implement a national lockdown.
In the past few weeks, Zimbabwe has been recording a surge in Covid-19 new cases and deaths forcing Cabinet to announce localised lockdown measures in parts of the country to curb the spread of the deadly pandemic.
For example, in Bulawayo police yesterday imposed a 6PM to 6AM curfew as suburbs such as Nkulumane, Pelandaba, Emganwini, Sizinda, Barham Green, Emakhandeni, Cowdray Park, Luveve, Njube, Magwegwe, Pumula, Nguboyenja, Makokoba, Mzilikazi and the Central Business District, have been observed as Covid-19 hot spots.
In a statement, TBCZ president Mr Wengayi Nhau said his organisation does not support a national lockdown and urges caution in the methods used, so that gains made in saving lives are not countered by immeasurable economic ruin.
“TBCZ does not support a national lockdown and urges caution in the methods used, so that gains made in saving lives are not countered by immeasurable economic ruin.
“The travel and tourism sector has achieved high levels of vaccination, estimated at between 75 and 80 percent in Victoria Falls, for example, and we encourage this in other business sectors.
“In this regard, we find it irresponsible for CZR (Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers) to make this call and we remind the association that its members who are supermarkets were among the very few operations allowed to operate in a national lockdown and are therefore not qualified to make calls that are prejudicial to other legitimate operations,” he said. -@okazunga
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