09 May 2020

Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, Ms Keganele Malikongwa, says general clothing shops will resume operations as the country continues to gradually re-open the economy.
 
Briefing the media on her ministry’s readiness to unlock the economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms Malikongwa said opening of clothing shops effected on May 8.

She, however, said strict regulations were still in place and customers were urged to refrain from fitting clothes in shops. All businesses would be required to disinfect all fitted clothes prior to their re-shelving.

Ms Malikongwa said businesses woalso instructed to reserve an isolation room for customers that could develop COVID-19 like symptoms while inside their premises.

With regard to informal sector and Small Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMME) relief, Ms Malikongwa said Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) will from May 15 open application for COVID-19 relief funding.

She indicated that the sale of alcohol and cigarettes would remain prohibited during this periopd, adding that salons and hairdressing services diod not form part of the list of the informal sector businesses that would be opened.

Other sectors that would be permitted to operate during the phase include baby shops, general clothing, car wash, laundromat /dry cleaning, cell phone shops, drillers, industrial hardware, cosmetics, commercial hardware, workshops, dry clean depo, haberdashery, motor dealer for spares and maintenances, plant hire services, florist, furniture shops, general hire services, informal sector businesses, and optician services.

Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, Dr Wilfred Mandlebe indicated that the financial sector would increase its workforce to ensure that all clients were serviced.

He admitted that the pandemic had triggered the contractions of the country’s economy, adding that government was faced with a mammoth task of revitalizing the economy post COVID-19 pandemic.