By Rungano Dzikira
The business sector has taken heed of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s call to reduce the number of people at work and maintain the prescribed one metre social distance, with most companies resorting to working at home.
A snap survey by this publication revealed that at least 70% of formal companies were resorting to use of technology where possible.
“Despite the logistical nightmare this is proving to be and the loss of productivity, the company saw it fit to put the lives of employees first by switching to remote work,” said one Zesa official.
In a memo addressed to its employees, the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) has advised of closure of banking halls and advised customers to resort to third party vending platforms.
“Post-paid customers are to pay their bills in designated account numbers while pre-paid customers can buy prepaid tokens through online third party vending platforms like Ecocash, One Money, Tele cash and Banks.”
Likewise, money agencies such as My Cash and Ecocash are opting to close down kiosks. “We have temporarily closed the kiosk channel to reduce exposure to COVID-19. Kindly use our digital platforms…” they advised.
CABS, Stewardbank, Barclays and ZB Bank, among others, are also encouraging electronic banking, with many operating with necessary skeleton staff.
“To curb the risk of exposure to coronavirus, we have reduced the number of staff in our branches. Kindly make use of digital channels for your banking,” read CABS’s short message service to its customers.
Companies such as Econet Zimbabwe have been reported to have introduced remote work for certain staffers – with around 50% of the staff being said to have been instructed to work from home.
Other companies have also given employees face masks and hand sanitizers as precautionary measures against the virus, as risk of exposure continues to grow given the three currently confirmed cases in the country of which Zororo Makamba, one of the three, succumbed to the virus on Monday.
