Some bars and night club owners in Lusaka have opened their businesses in defiance of government stance on the operations of such businesses.
In the face of what they see as unequal treatment after President Edgar Lungu allowed other businesses to reopen, some of the bars are taking a defiant stand.
President Lungu has loosened restrictions by allowing restaurants, Casinos, Cinemas and Gymnasiums to operate normally subject to them following the public health measures such as sanitizing, social distancing and washing hands.
Bar and night club owners feel this is unfair and have accused the Government of favoring foreign entities at the expense of local businesses that provide employment to thousands of Zambians.
A check in selected townships of Lusaka found bars operating normally with cars parked without any observance to public health measures such as social distancing.
Secretary General of the Bars and Night Clubs Association of Zambia Edmond Lifwekelo on 12th June 2020 urged his members to go ahead and reopen their businesses if Authorities continue to be silence on their plea to allow them to operate normally.
Zambia Police Service Spokesperson Esther Katongo however advised Bar Owners to ignore the call by the Bars and Night Clubs Owners Association of Zambia for them to reopen their businesses.
Mrs Katongo said this act would be against regulation number 10 of Statutory Instruments number 21 and 22, as the restriction has not yet been lifted.
She called on bar owners to remain patient so as to allow authorities to guide them on when they should open their business premises.
We have reached a stage were everyone is ignoring the President. It all began with the ministers and his party officials and cadres themselves and now citizens have seen that his word does not carry any consequence.
Do so at your own risk. When the full wrath of the law visits you, do not blame us. We know the opposition are feeding this into the minds of desperate business men and women. They are trying to build discontent and confusion in our country. We wont stand by and watch. Kz
Just allow bars to open. You destroying people’s homes and economies naimwe.
Notorious criminal in Kabushi gathered at their gang leader’s house in weekend, breaking the any law there is. Ester Katongo didn’t give any statement on the gathering and public insults to PF government.
PF double standard. Lungu’s bar in Chawama has been open all along
These are results of a govt incapable of governing the country fairly ..you allow your foreign owned bars and bars owned by PF thugs to open whilst you want your own people to tighten their belts.
Zambia how did you end up with such corrupt leaders like Lazy Lungu!!
What can you do when foreign owned bars are open and ministers and their girlfriends are tge major customers?
Let Zambian bar owners do open after all they are in business too.
PF government favors foreigners over Zambian entrepreneurs, why? Cappelo night club and bar owned by crooked Lebanese was fully packed by GRZ ministers and other senior government officials.
Miles Sampa said he couldn’t do anything because that would be stepping on someone’s toes.
PF must go!
WHEN,THEY WERE GETTING ALL THESE DEBTS WHAT WAS ON PF MIND?AND WHAT DID THEY USE THE LOANS FOR? JUST FOR PERSONAL USE.THE WORST GOVT ZAMBIA EVER HAD IS PF.PLEASE,PARIS CLUB DON’T ACCEPT ANY LENIENCY CZ IT WENT INTO INDIVIDUAL POCKETS. AND THEY ARE BUSY ACQUIRING MORE DEBTS. THEY OWE THE CHINESE ALOT OF DEBTS. WHAT A SHAME.WHAT DIFFERENCE HAVE THEY DONE IN DEVELOPING THE PEOPLE OF ZAMBIA BUT JUST WORSENING PEOPLES LIVES.
KZ, why is it that whenever citizens complain about the govt you are quick to point a finger at the opposition. Are you insinuating that the people dont have the capacity to analyse issues on their own?This style of governance where every time the people speak out you quickly point a finger at the opposition is a sign of failed governance. Man up and be responsible. If you have failed move aside. Zambia is not short of capable leaders.
I feel sorry for that poor jumpy chap Sampa wanting to do a good thing when he is surrounded by rotten bosses but I did warn you people that a PF Mayor can never deliver in Lusaka unless an independent if you couldn’t stomach UPND.
This has nothing with opposition feeding bar owners wrong info so they defy GRZ. It has everything to do with people trying to earn a living. If bars are considered a high health risk, what about the markets and streets that are not observing any safety measures?? We could have been seeing thousands dying everyday!! This is not political, did GRZ put together a package that should have been given to the bar owners and workers during the 3 months they have been shut??
It’s sad that Zambian business owners who own and run 95% of bars have been profiled as political proponents while big foreign owned business and small Rwandese shops sell alcohol freely. Poor judgement by GRZ decision makers indeed!! Not everything is political, no wonder local economies have been hit hard as these bar owners spend their profits locally while foreigners export theirs!!
Power without authority can be painful and embarrassing. Edgar has power but has lost authority. Only those whose lives depend on him are supporting him. Unless he uses power to threaten people no one will do what he says. He’s a naked king
Mwakale only the zambian people can decide if they want us to move aside. That is your own opinion that according to you pf has failed. However, the zambian people voted for us and will do so in 2021. You are living a little dream in a bubble which will soon pop. I point a finger at opposition because they are the only ones complaining and always criticising. Even my study of you diasporans found that most of you are upnd supporters. In fact I have interacted with some of you in personal messages and some have even told me point blank that they can only move back to Zambia if a Tonga is president under upnd.
KZ, I agree with you 100%. The opposition or more specifically upnd have been in overdrive fighting and attacking a legitimate GRZ under PF. I personally believe a change of GRZ is not any solution to any of Zambia’s challenges as PF GRZ have put together an agenda that is putting Zambia on the right path after 20 years of MMDs auction of the country. The diasporans have been particularly repulsive, unpatriotic and tribalistic. But on the bar owners, I disagree with you big bro-there’s nothing political about their plight except desire to meet their financial and social obligations. For a moment think of how they have been surviving???
I guess the Government and senior health officials are still strategising on how to safely reopen bars and clubs. Remember that people will forget social distancing when they are drunk, also the loud music makes it hard to have a conversation while social distancing. People must exercise a bit of some patience, bars and clubs will definitely reopen in due course. I am also sensitive to that fact that these business owners need the income for their families and those of their employees. Their pleas are definitely not in vain, we have a listening Government in power.
Pa Chicago ciladiba, na ku Woodlands stadium! Only komboni bars owned by Zambians are closed, for foreigner owned bars and clubs its business as usual.
This is good this spirit of defiance must continue when we see something is wrong and unfair. Kudos to the Bar Owners, Government will never compensate fro loss of business so all must do what they can to make a living even if it has to go against presidential pronouncements.
I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE CURRENT PRESIDENCY ON HOW THEY RATE THE CURRENT PRESIDENT IN AFRICA LOOKING AT THE PERIOD 1960 TO 2020, WERE DOES HE STAND ON THE PARAMETERS OF TOLERANCE OR INTOLERANCE FOR CORRUPTION, MISMANAGEMENT OR MANAGEMENT OF RESOURCES, SELECTION OF HIS CABINET, POSTURE, LEADERSHIP QUALITIES, ACCEPTABILITY OR REJECTABILITY BY THE MAJORITY OF THE LEAD,RESPECT OR LACK OF RESPECT FOR DIVERGENT VIEWS, RESPECTABILITY, FOCUS OR LACK OF FOCUS, ABILITY OR FAILURE TO CHERRY PICK GOOD ADVICE FROM GENERAL ADVICE, PASSING THE BUCK (I WAS MISINFORMED OR I WAS PROPERLY INFORMED), ABILITY OR FAILURE TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN PARTY PRESIDENCY AND NATIONAL PRESIDENCY IN THE EXECUTION OF DUTY. THE PARAMETERS ARE MANY BUT FOR NOW LET US LOOK AT THESE CRITICALLY AND SEE WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF…
Zambian Citizen you are not a real Zambian citizen. If you are then you are either a benefiary of corruption or out of your mind. Explain the right path PF has put this country in please abnormal debts, corruption, 48 houses building themselves, gassing people no culprits apprehended, auditor general reports ignored. There is no accountability in PF, no financial management skills that’s why you need Lizard to come and advise on how to come out of the debt. Wake up please!!!! You are still sleeping
As for those who have opened congratulations. You are humans, you dependent on your business to survive in your country, if someone closes it but allows foreigners to open it clearly shows that, the person has no care whether you suffer or not. Don’t be intimidated, don’t be threatened, the government didn’t pay you anything to survive during the time you have been closed. These police cadres are getting paid let them come and threaten you today, we will audit them next year just take photos and videos for evidence purposes. Police commanders will be visited by the same law they are wrongly enforcing today
Its very unfair, they were the first to be closed up to now no hope. Yet they said they would inform them together with the education sector but when schools were told to reopen nothing about them was mentioned. Where do you expect them to get money to survive? This type of unfair treatment is what leads to high crimes because, you are denying people freedom to survive peacefully when they become thieves who is to blame???
@Lucid: yaaaawwwnn….donkey stuff is really boring….
Zambian citizen is an accomplice to crime as he is eating with them and defends them as his survival depends on these thieves who are accusing Japanese of donating those useless bicycles.