Some business people at Nyika growth point have complained
that they are being unfairly disadvantaged by the District Covid-19 Taskforce
which they accuse of abusing the national lockdown order to allow only a select
few shops to operate.
“They are moving around ordering everybody else to close
except a few shops that were selected in a corrupt manner. There is confusion
and ignorance as to who the lockdown order exempts as well as the terms and
conditions, and we are being taken advantage of,” said one business person.
Another shop owner said a vehicle recently drove around the
whole growth point threatening smaller businesses with severe consequences if
they did not close immediately.
“They drove around using a hailer mounted on a pick-up
truck. We were made to close early in the morning when we had just opened for
the business of the day. We all pay tax and rates, and we employ people so we
don’t understand why somebody could arbitrarily handpick those who are allowed
to operate. They must rather put us in groups and allocate us alternating
trading days,” said the business person.
In a stamped letter dated April 07, the taskforce makes it
clear that only Chingwanga, N.Richards, Major Family Savings (MFS), Mutema,
Bilcro Groceries and Flexi Mart are allowed to open.
The committee is largely made up of the District
Development Coordinator (DDC)’s office, Bikita RDC, health authorities and the
security services sector.
When contacted for comment, Bikita RDC CEO Peter Chibhi
said it was the taskforce’s duty to do all that it deemed necessary to reduce
the spread of Covid-19.
“If we open all groceries shops in the growth point, it
will be congested yet we need to decongest it. The problem is that our
community has not experienced a single case or death due to Covid-19. If we are
to have a full-blown outbreak, then everybody will voluntarily shut down their
shops,” said Chibhi.
When asked about complaints about the alleged corruption
and unfairness involved in cherry-picking those that are allowed to operate and
those that are forbidden, Chibhi said the arrangement was a result of a
decision by the taskforce.
“That is the responsibility of the taskforce to
direct. If we allow all shops to open
then there will be chaos in the growth point. The media would then say, people
are not observing the lockdown order,” he said.
Some business ownersin Zaka and Mwenezi complained that
they too were in a similar predicament, and they no longer bothered opening
their shops since the stipulated timeframes keep on changing, to the delight of
corrupt police officers who use the uncertainty to elicit for bribes.
Shops were initially allowed to trade between 09:00hrs and
15:00hrs, but the trading hours were later changed to between 09:00hrs and
13:00hrs. Many big grocers have, however, have since reverted to trading
between 09:00hrs and 15:00hrs.
The Public Health (Covid-19 Prevention, Containment and
Treatment) (National Lockdown) Order, 2020 commonly referred to as Statutory
Instrument 83 of 2020 was gazetted on March 28, 2020.
The instrument lays down the lockdown rules valid for a
period of 21 days from March 30 - April 19, 2020.
The Public Health (Covid-19 Prevention, Containment and
Treatment) (National Lockdown) Order, 2020 commonly referred to as Statutory
Instrument 83 of 2020 was gazetted on March 28, 2020.
The instrument lays down the lockdown rules valid for a
period of 21 days from March 30 - April 19, 2020.
Businesses offering what are defined as essential services
are allowed to operate within stipulated timeframes and these include shops
selling basic commodities, health services providers as well as those offering
electricity and water services. TellZim News
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