The Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) has urged its members to downscale its staff complement and adhere to the lockdown regulations in line with the latest stiff measures imposed by the government.
This follows an announcement by the Vice President Constantino Chiwenga who is also the Minister of Health and Child Care that the country will go on a 30 day lockdown following the surge of Covid-19 cases during the festive season.
Chiwenga said only essential services are to remain open such as hospitals, pharmacies and supermarkets, with only essential staff allowed to operate from 8am and close at 3pm.
In a statement, the CZR President, Denford Mutashu said they welcomed the move taken by the government.
“As Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) we applaud the government for stepping in by invoking tough measures to stop a looming catastrophe amid rising cases of Covid-19.
“We are in an extraordinary situation which calls for extraordinary measures and discarding the business-as-usual approach, therefore, we should adhere to Covid-19 guidelines,” said Mutashu.
“CZR calls upon members to adhere to the new measures which means opening and closing shops within the set timelines.”
Mutashu also called on its members to ensure strict adherence to Covid-19 regulations. “CZR is calling for mandatory wearing of face masks and there is a need for genuine Covid-19 testing certificates for all staff to combat the spread of the pandemic. More so, disinfection certificates for premises and work stations should be displayed at all times,” said Mutashu.
“Retailers are urging members to only allow 50 percent staff to report for duty at any time to decongest shops and promote social distancing. We have noticed that some shops are negligent to such an extent that some customers are no longer sanitising at entry points let alone have their temperature taken, this must stop forthwith under the new measures.”
