File Photo
SANFROSSA MANYINDA writes
@sunzambian
BAR and night clubs in some townships in Kitwe have defied the guidelines on opening hours and opting to operate beyond the stipulated days.A check by the Daily Nation in Buchi, Kwacha and Bulangililo townships found many bars operating beyond stipulated days and going into the early hours of the following day.Some bar operators interviewed said that the hours and days that were given were not enough for them to make profits.President Lungu announced that bars and night club owners would be operating on Friday to Sunday from 18:00 hours to 23:00 hours.“The economy is bad at the moment in the country and if we are given only a few hours and only three days to operate, how are we going to survive?” one of them wondered.They appealed to Government to either consider increasing the number of days of operation or completely open the facilities.They further assured that for the sake of making ends meet, they would strictly follow the health guidelines against the Covid-19.But the Kitwe City Council maintained that owners of the facilities they must only operate within the time frame announced by the Head of State.Additionally, they should ensure that they meet public health requirements for them to be issued with Health Compliance Certificates in readiness for partial reopening.Council Public Relations Manager, Chola Mwamba, said that bar and night club owners should always bear in mind that the permitted days of opening night clubs were Friday, Saturday and Sunday only.
“Bar and night club owners are advised to come to the public health department for compliance inspection. No bar or night club will be allowed to reopen without compliance inspection,” Ms Mwamba said.
