 |
| Gurunhe and Chivhanga went and met the shop manager after the incident |
…as people call for boycott of
shop over ‘discrimination’
TellZim Reporter
TM Pick n Pay Masvingo manager
Smart Chivhuna is ‘sorry’ for the incident which saw a woman with albinism
being denied entry into the shop because a chemical sanitizer could not be used
on her sensitive skin, TellZim has heard.
Agnes Gurunhe was barred from
entering the shop by people manning the entrance and by till supervisor William
Kokela who had insisted that she let them sanitize her hands first if she
wanted to be allowed into the shop.
Gurunhe had requested that she be
given water and soap to wash her hands instead of the chemical sanitizing fluid
as her skin reacted badly to such substances.
TellZim tried without success to
get Chivhuna’s comment, with his assistants saying he was out of office and had
gone to hospital.
Repeated attempts to reach him on
his cellphone failed as he did not pick the calls.
After the incident which happened
towards midday yesterday, September 29, and reported soon after by TellZim,
Disability Amalgamation Community Trust (DACT) chairperson Henry Chivhanga
consulted lawyers before engaging Chivhuna.
“He expressed deep regrets over
the issue and asked for forgiveness as he did not personally handle the case.
He told us that he accepted full responsibility for what we consider a clear act
of discrimination and insensitivity to the unique needs of a customer with a disability,”
said Chivhanga, who was accompanied by Gurunhe after the meeting.
He said, his organisation will
ask its lawyers to write to the national management of the grocer to demand a
full apology and other guarantees that no incident of a similar nature happens
in the future.
“We consider this issue to be an
attack on the rights of all people with disabilities. We have a problem in this
country because when rules are made, they are seldom made with us in mind,”
said Chivhanga.
On her part, Gurunhe said she was
disappointed but not entirely surprised by the mistreatment she got.
“It’s disappointing but not very
much surprising. Things of this nature happen to us almost every day and most
of the cases are not reported. What really could have been difficult in
providing me with water to wash my hands given that I had fully explained
myself?” said Gurunhe.
Many social media users who
responded to the story on the TellZim Twitter handle have called for the people
involved in the debacle to be fired, while others have called for a boycott of
the shop.
“Boycott @tmpicknpay until they
offer a trolley full apology. Nxa,” remarked @mrdesmonds.
“Eish! Zimbabwe showing our worst
side instead of our beautiful best side. Couldn’t they get her soap and water,”
remarked award winning novelist Tsitsi Dangarembga (@effie41209591)
“Shutdown #PicknPay,” said
tafadzwa Makara (@tafymaka).
