Staff Reporter – The Zimbabwe Daily
Pretoria, South Africa – More than 100 000 jobs in the southern African country’s tourism sector are now hanging by a thread.
This is due to the country’s nationwide lockdown which was put in place on the 27th of March as a way of curbing the COVID-19 pandemic which has since hit the southern African country hard.
Although the government allocated US$12 million towards the sector which has since been used up as a relief package, many businesses didn’t benefit from the initiative.
“We could only give 4 000 companies the money. The money has run out we can’t do anything but to push for the opening of the sector.
However, we can’t be blind that there is a pandemic on our hands I would like to see the sector being opened but we can’t be blind that there is a pandemic on our hands.
Regardless, we do appreciate what the government has opened for us, accommodation for leisure being opened, safaris being opened, curfew being extended for restaurants, it will go a long way in helping businesses to say afloat. I know it’s a tough one in terms of regulations but we just have to adhere,” said the Minister of Tourism, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane.
