Poverty strikes bar owners

SIMON MUNTERMBA writes

THE preventive measures against coronavirus (CONVID-19) pandemic is slowly throwing bars and night clubs owners into destitute, the Bars and Night Club Owners Association of Zambia (BNCOAZ) has observed.

Association secretary general, Edmond Lifwekelo said much as the association appreciated the preventive measures, it regretted that their members were not only starving but also destitute as a result of the continued closure of bars and night clubs.

Mr Lifwekele complained that it was sad that Government could allow their members trade on a takeaway basis as was the case with restaurants.

“As an association, we are disappointed that our plea to government to easy up some conditions on the continued closure of bars and night clubs like allowing our members to trade on takeaway basis like restaurants has not been granted.

“Our members are going through untold misery my brother as a result of the 14 days closure and most of them have become destitutes,” Mr Lifwekele said

President Edgar Lungu recently acted decisively by closing bars and three international airports to prevent the spread of coronavirus cases for two weeks, which had by then swelled to 12 from three within a week.

To prevent complicacy and sustain gains achieved so far in combating COVID-19, after the initial two weeks closure, President Lungu extended by another two weeks the closure of three international airports, bars and nightclubs, among measures.