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Dr Zivhu

George Maponga in Masvingo
The Zimbabwe Cross Border Traders Association has urged its members to continue with their business as usual, as the country remains peaceful and calm in light of the political events that are taking place. The association’s president Dr Killer Zivhu said they were being inundated with calls from their members, both in Zimbabwe and outside the borders, inquiring if they were safe to trade.

Dr Zivhu said in an interview yesterday that there was nothing to worry about among members of his organisation, adding that it was business as usual in the country. “I want to take this opportunity to make it clear to our members of the Cross Border Traders Association that there is peace and tranquillity in Zimbabwe, everything is normal as usual, so they must feel free to continue with their day-to-day business,” he said.

“To all our members who had gone outside the country to sell or buy their wares, some of whom have been inquiring from us about the situation back home, I want to assure you that you are safe to come back home, it is business as usual.

“The same applies to our members who are in the country and want to go outside the country, be assured that the country is calm and safe and you are free to conduct your day-to-day business.” Dr Zivhu said there was no reason for cross border traders to worry, as other businesses throughout the country were operating normally.

“There is normalcy everywhere — banks, shops and supermarkets are open, workers are reporting for duty, transporters are on the roads and our airport is open, with flights sticking to their schedules, so it is business as usual and there is no need to panic,” he said. Dr Zivhu urged members of his association to comply with check points they could meet on the country’s roads.

Dr Zivhu, who is also the president of the Zimbabwe Local Government Association (ZILGA) urged both local authorities in rural and urban areas to continue extending services to the people. He said councils in both areas were supposed to heed the call for them to continue operating normally, as peace continued to prevail in the country.

“My appeal to local authorities in both rural and urban areas, all of them are our members of the Zimbabwe Local Government Association, is that they must continue to conduct business as usual,” said Dr Zivhu.

“Please, serve the people like what you have been doing all along. The situation is very calm and normal and there is no reason for you to disrupt your own operations and deny your residents essential services.” The Zimbabwe Defence Forces has called on Zimbabweans to live their normal lives and go about their day-to-day business, saying they had not staged a military takeover, but intervened only to save President Mugabe, who was at the mercy of criminal and corrupt elements surrounding him.