ZAMBIA – Zambeef Products Plc, the largest integrated cold chain food products and agribusiness company in Zambia, has donated hygiene stations, bulk hand sanitizer, thermometers and masks to Chisamba, Chibombo and Lusaka councils, scaling up its COVID-19 support.
Reaffirming its commitment to the fight against the pandemic and ensuring its operations align with government’s mitigation measures; the donations included three 210-litre drums of hand sanitiser, three infrared thermometers and 600 masks.
The donated items, which are part of an earlier pledge to the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU), will be used at the Katuba Toll Plaza, which serves as a gateway between the respective councils.
“Zambeef remains committed, together with the rest of the nation, to ensuring that we beat the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“We have been given a guideline on how to prevent the disease and so it remains with each individual and corporate citizen to ensure those measures are implemented and precious lives are safeguarded,” said Zambeef chief executive officer Walter Roodt.
The Chibombo and Chisamba district commissioners accompanied by their council secretaries as well as council chairperson for Chisamba received the items.
Zambeef previously donated over K50,000 (US$2,700) worth of cleaning equipment to the Ministry of Health, and in collaboration with Parrogate Zambia and Nshimbi Steel, further donated food to cater for at least 135,000 meals valued at K613,737 (US$34,000) for quarantine centres and frontline health workers.
The group also donated personal protective equipment worth K573,850 (US$31,800) and intends to set up sanitary stations at 10 town councils to scale-up sanitation in public places.
In other related news, Zambeef has completed the sale of its Sinazongwe farm at a cost of US$10 million to Chenguang Biotech (Zambia) Agri-Dev Limited.
The proceeds would largely be used to pay down the group’s debt and thus reduce gearing and interest costs.
It will also enable Zambeef to focus on growing its core business, which is the production and retailing of cold chain meat, dairy products and stockfeed, delivered through the group’s extensive processing, distribution and retail network.
Having operations in Zambia, Nigeria and Ghana, the company has 228 retail outlets.
