NSSA turns hotel into Covid-19 quarantine centre

Thupeyo Muleya

The National Social Security Authority (NSSA) has availed its $39 million hotel in Beitbridge for use by the Government as a Covid19 quarantine centre for those entering or leaving the country via Beitbridge Border Post.

So far Beitbridge has not recorded any Covid-19 positive case.

The 136 room state-of the art hotel was built under the Beitbridge Redevelopment Programme and was formerly leased by the Rainbow Tourism Group (RTG) before shutting down in May 2016 following two years of successive losses.

Presently the hotel complex houses two banks, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority regional office and NSSA offices.

It is expected that the latest development will ease the burden on the main district hospital which is a referral centre for 250 000 people.

In a statement on Tuesday NSSA said: “The former Beitbridge Rainbow Hotel will be used as a transit isolation centre to cater for returning residents from South Africa.

“This means every Zimbabwean who passes through the Beitbridge border post from South Africa will be quarantined for 21 days at the NSSA facility as a precautionary measure. Zimbabwe’s southern neighbour is also battling to contain Covid-19 with an infection rate of over 1,000”.

The authority added that it had also availed its Ekusileni Medical Centre in Bulawayo for the accommodation of patients undergoing treatment for Covid-19.

Besides availing the two facilities, the organisation also donated towards the repair of an ICU ventilator at Mutare General Hospital.

Acting NSSA general manager, Mr Arthur Manase they were heeding President Mnangagwa’s call for every Zimbabweans to actively participate in combating the pandemic.

“Through the banner, ‘NSSA for Good’, we have availed the two facilities to the Government as our humble contribution towards this national cause.

“We also remain committed to rendering further assistance within our ability, as may be requested by the government,” he said.