• The directive is not in good faith.
• The decision is not fair to the sector which was closed for 7 months without a bailout.
• Bars and Night clubs will continue operating from Friday to Sunday from 18 hours to 18 hours.

Bars and Night Clubs Owners Association of Zambia says its members will not comply with government’s directive to close their premises and only operate on take away basis.
Speaking in an interview with Money FM News, Association President Peter Mwale stated that bars and night club owners will ignore the directive because it has not been made in good faith.
Mr. Mwale pointed out that recently, the sector was closed down for 7 months without any bailout package, a situation which made it difficult for business owners to survive.
He said as a result, the Association fought hard by engaging government, and it was agreed that bars and night clubs should open from Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 18hrs to 23 hours, noting that the directive came from President Edgar Lungu.
“Our official position is that we are going to ignore this directive, it is not in good faith, and it is actually a very biased decision to have been made because we don’t think that this decision is fair to this sector. As you may be aware, it is not long ago when this sector was completely closed down for 7 months without any bailout whatsoever, for 7 months we shut down our businesses.”
“We fought hard, we engaged government and we agreed that bars and night clubs should open from Friday Saturday and Sunday from 18hrs to 23 hours and that directive came from the Republican President himself,” Mr. Mwale said.
Mr. Mwale further said the Association does not understand why the authorities have decided to shut bars and night clubs but that as agreed with its members yesterday, they are not going to obey the directive as they will continue operating from Friday to Sunday as earlier agreed with government.
“And now we don’t know how and why the authorities has come up with such a decision which we feel is a very unfair decision and we are not going to accept it and we resolved yesterday in a meeting with our members that we are not going to obey this, come Friday we are going to open our bars as agreed earlier on with government,” he stated.
And Mr. Mwale said the businesses are legitimate therefore a bar and night club cannot sale on takeaway basis.
“We strongly feel the decision to close bars and tell us to start selling on takeaway basis is irrational, because we are Zambians and these businesses are legitimate and we were not given a bar or night club license to operate on takeaway basis. What we are very disappointed about is that yes Covid-19 cases are rising but why is that it is only this sector they are targeting? Is it only in bars and night clubs where people are crowding? Why should we be blamed whenever there is a slight increase in Covid cases?” he wondered.
On Monday, Local Government Permanent Secretary Mathew Ngulube directed all bars, taverns, night clubs and casinos to shut down and only operate on take away basis for the next 14 days subject to review.
Mr. Ngulube stressed the need for owners of the business entities to ensure adherence to the new directive, warning that any premise that will be found allowing individuals to drink within their car parks, risk having their licenses revoked.
“Gyms will remain closed except for outdoor activities while observing the prescribed Covid-19 guidelines,” he said.