BREAKING NEWS – Business sector ready for lockdown

Businesses in the city that are allowed to sell food and essential items are ready to ensure a continued supply of their merchandise to customers and have for the interim adopted new shopping hours. They have, however, indicated that the hours may be changed once the shopping patterns of the public have been established.
The city’s two major shopping malls are closed as such, leaving open only those retailers providing the essential goods as stipulated in the Government Gazette that is availanle on www.gpwonline.co.za.
At Mall of the North, Checkers (07:00 – 16:00 everyday), Woolworths (09:00 – 17:00 everyday), Game (07:30 – 19:00 on weekdays, 08:00 – 16:00 on Saturdays and 09:00 – 15:00 on Sundays), Pick n Pay (08:00 – 18:00 on weekdays and 08:00 – 15:00 on weekends), Clicks (08:00 – 16:00 on weekdays, Vets Mart (09:00 – 16-00 on weekdays and 09:00 – 13:00 on weekends), Dischem (09:00 – 16:00 on weekdays), MTN (09:00 – 13:00 everyday) and Vodacom (09:00 – 12:00 on weekdays and 09:00 – 11:00 on weekends) will be open for business. The banking sector is also declared as an essential service and FNB (09:00 – 15:30 on weekdays and 09:00 – 11:00 on Saturdays), African Bank (10:00 – 15:00 on weekdays), Capitec (09:00 – 16:00 on weekdays and 09:00 – 12:00 on 28 March), Standard Bank (08:30 – 17:00 on weekdays), ABSA (09:00 – 16:00 on weekdays and 09:00 – 13:00 on weekends) and Nedbank (08:30 – 17:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and 09:00 – 17:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 09:00 – 14:00 on weekends) will be open.
At Savannah Mall, shopping hours will be as usual but may change depending on demand, it was learnt. Shoppers will only allowed to enter the shops at designated entrances, being Pick n Pay and Clicks Pharmacy (Entrance 1), Woolworths (Entrance 2), Dischem, Baby City and Checkers (Entrance 4) and banks and the Post Office (Entrance 5).
Pick n Pay Cycad will be open from 08:00 – 17:00 on weekdays and Saturdays and from 08:00 – 13:00 on Sundays and public holidays and Sasol Bendor will be open 24/7 for the time being.
The management of Thornhill and Platinum Park shopping centres could not be contacted to provide information regarding shopping hours at time of going to print.
Freshstop at Caltex Ivy Park open 24/7. Only cigarettes and special coffee not available.
Goods that may not be sold were removed from shelves and where not possible, the shelves were covered. Cashiers will also not allow prohibited goods such as cigarettes to pass the tills.
At all the businesses that were visited yesterday (Thursday), management has taken measures to protect their staff and customers by providing sanitisers, gloves or protective masks.

Story: Barry Viljoen