The Cross Boarder Traders Association – CBTA has backed calls to suspend cross boarder public passengers at boarder entries to curb the spread of Coronavirus (COVID -19). This follows public concerns over the Chirundu border, Zambia’s border with Zimbabwe which is said to handle the highest traffic from South Africa.
South Africa is considered to be southern Africa’s epi-center, and has so far recorded the highest number of laboratory confirmed cases in both southern and Eastern Africa. South Africa is Africa’s second largest economy by GDP.
CBTA Secretary General Jacob Makambwe told the Zambian Business Times – ZBT in an exclusive interview that the recommendation to end cross border public passenger services would help to mitigative further spread of the virus which has a massive negative impact on businesses in the country.
He said Zambia is already grabbling with a weak economy which is likely to be exacerbated if the number of confirmed cases continue to increase hence the need to urgently close passenger entry points to curb the disease.
Makambwe added that local manufactures should take advantage of the situation and begin to look within the country by improving production of local products in order to boost the local industry.
“Yes, COVID-19 has negatively affected our businesses but we urged our members to look within and get products from local manufactures to complement the ‘Buy Zambia’ campaign. It is time to improve our production and manufacturing capacity if we are to sustain ourselves with products that we need in this COVID-19 situation,” He said.
The cross border traders board has since urged all its member to abide by the rules that have been prescribed by health experts and has called on government to put in place restrictions on land boarders that are still open with countries that have confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Health Minister Dr. Chitalu Chilufya had told ZBT in an exclusive interview on March 18, 2020, that the Ministry has placed health officers at all land boarders and Airport entries across the country to monitor travelers and ensure those with symptoms of COVID-19 are invested and quarantined.
