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Raymond Jaravaza, Showbiz Correspondent
HE looked flustered, perhaps even angry that he had been denied entry into a popular city centre hotel where he hoped to book a room and enjoy a few cold beers before calling it a night, simply because he didn’t have the right “requirements” to enter the establishment.

Trying to negotiate with the security details at the hotel, situated in the heart of the Bulawayo, proved futile for the middle-aged man.

Two bouncers responsible for “vetting” customers making their way into the establishment simply didn’t budge and all attempts to beg, bribe or even try to forcibly gain entry into the hotel failed and he simply walked away.

All the bouncers were demanding was for the gentleman to prove that he was fully vaccinated against coronavirus and a certified Ministry of Health and Child Care card was enough proof for him to be allowed entry into the hotel.

It’s the new normal, the kind of new normal that some clients like the middle-aged man that Saturday Leisure encountered outside Palace Hotel trying to gain entry by hook and crook as he did not have a vaccination card in hand, that Bulawayo is slowly getting used to.

The message by hotel and restaurant proprietors is simple. No jab, no beer or T-bone steak. The business owners are not taking chances.

It’s a bitter pill to swallow for the folks that are dragging their feet to get to the nearest vaccination centre for the much-needed life-saving jabs against Covid-19 that has ravaged the world with Zimbabwe being no exception.

Thousands of Zimbabweans have lost their lives since the novel virus was first detected in the country in early 2020. More lives continue to  be lost.

For one hotel owner, the only solution to stop the spread of the novel virus in his establishment is by demanding vaccination cards upon entry.

After all, a large sign that says “Right of admission is reserved” is displayed at his hotel and as the proprietor, he reserves the right to decide who patronises the place.

As of a month-and-a-half ago, only vaccinated clients have the right to be admitted into Palace Hotel, and his bouncers, the heavily muscular men at the entrance, mean business.

“In as much as we want clients to come to our hotel, we are not oblivious of the fact that the Covid-19 pandemic is claiming lots of lives and as Palace Hotel, we are doing our bit to stop the spread of the virus by demanding that only vaccinated customers are allowed into the premises.

“It’s a policy that doesn’t sit well with some of our clients, but for the safety and health of everyone who patronises Palace Hotel, we have no choice but to enforce the ‘no jab, no entry policy’,” said proprietor Tapiwa Gandiwa.

Gandiwa is quick to point out that numbers have dropped at Palace since he introduced the “no jab no entry policy” but he remains hopeful that business will pick up as more Bulawayo residents join the vaccination drive.

“The number of vaccinated patrons will increase with time. More and more Bulawayo residents are getting vaccinated and we are hopeful that our business will turn around, it’s been hard for the last few months, but we are not losing hope.

“It’s important for businesses to complement Government efforts in encouraging people to get vaccinated,” said Gandiwa.

Bulawayo’s nightlight is a world of its own. Vibrant, raw and authentic, the City of Kings’ nightlife is a place like no other.

Nightclub and bar owners, in as much as business has been slow for the last one-and-a-half years, remain optimistic that brighter days are on the horizon.

Liquors Association of Bulawayo president Rejoice Mafukidze, who is also a proprietor for Shisha Bars dotted around the city says the city can’t afford to rest on its laurels and let the vibrant Bulawayo night fade away.

“The Bulawayo nightlife is a lifestyle on its own and an economy that cannot be ignored. We are open to collaborate with the Ministry of Health and other health players in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic to make the nightclub business a safe place for our patrons.

“Just to show how serious we are, as entertainment business players in the city, we are open to the idea of having vaccination centres on our premises during the day so that Bulawayo residents can access vaccination services,” said Mafukidze.

Business has been suffering and that’s one fact that Mafukidze cannot run away from.

“It’s been a year-and-a-half since this pandemic hit and as the owners of bars and nightspots, we have somehow been sidelined by the authorities.

“We are a huge industry like other players that are pillars of the economy, but somehow, we are always the last to be considered when the economy is opened after every national lockdown. Like most business owners, we don’t own the premises where we operate so we have to pay rentals every month, whether we are operating or not,” she said.

The association is ready to enforce a “no jab no entry” to all its members.

“We want to accommodate those who are fully vaccinated in our premises, even at half-capacity and every bar or nightclub owner under our  association will enforce that rule,” she added.

Across the Limpopo, in South Africa, sports authorities are ready to implement measures that will push citizens to get vaccinated in order to access sports facilities. The sporting fraternity in South Africa has promised to pull out all the stops, including giving away free tickets to sporting and entertainment events, to boost the country’s vaccination rollout.

“The virus is real and deadly. We cannot wait for it to slow down; it can get worse before it gets better. We have to stop it and the only avenue we have not fully exploited is vaccines,” said Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa during the week.

On the local sporting fraternity, the Premier Soccer League has made it mandatory for all players, coaches and officials to be vaccinated before football can resume. Dynamos and Highlanders, the country’s biggest football clubs have been urging their supporters to get vaccinated in order for the teams to plead with the authorities to allow fans back into stadiums.

Football fans have been barred into stadiums since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country early last year.
Locally, the Government has relaxed lockdown restrictions to allow bars in hotels and lodges to operate at stipulated times. Nightclubs and bars, however, remain closed.

One restaurant owner, who wanted to remain anonymous, said her famous T-bone steak will only be enjoyed by fully vaccinated customers.

“I have to protect my clients and employees so anyone who is not vaccinated will not be allowed into my restaurant.

My staff are all vaccinated and they are the most important part of my business so I have to protect them,” she said. — @RaymondJaravaza.