Zimbabweans will tomorrow celebrate their first Christmas without Robert Mugabe as president in 37 years, with some vowing to have celebrations to remember.
BY PHYLLIS MBANJE
Mugabe, who was blamed for the country’s deep seated economic problems, was forced to step down by the military last month, and was replaced by his long-time ally Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Zimbabweans celebrated the military takeover with street parties and marches.
However, 2017 was punctuated by economic woes of all sorts, from the cash crunch to the recent price hikes of basic food commodities.
But despite this, the spirit of Christmas and good times has prevailed and most families will indeed celebrate the day in style. Some still travel hundreds of kilometres, often on dusty and bumpy roads, just so they can be with their families in the rural areas.
The Chinhaka family is doing just that this Chritsmas.
“We all go to kwaChikwaka every Christmas with our families. Our mother looks forward to this day when all six of us descend on her homestead and spoil her rotten.
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“It is our way of saying thank you for the sacrifices,” said Edgar Chinhaka, who is the eldest of the four boys and two girls.
“They are all married and live in different parts of the country but will all make time to go home.
“My sister is in South Africa but she is on her way and come Sunday evening, we all make a convoy and go home.”
For Amiga Chitemere, a teacher at Hallingbury School in Mabelreign, Christmas is a time to be with family, showing each other love.
She will be catering for 20 people on Christmas Day and also plans to visit her in-laws in Mhondoro.
“It is time to show love and thank God that He is born in our hearts,” she said
Charles Kautare, the ZNNP+ Harare provincial chairperson said he was spending Christmas with his family.
“I would like to be with my family and maybe outdoors. I might even surprise them with a lakeside booking,” he said.
In the diaspora, Zimbabweans will also be celebrating Christmas in a big way.
Adleid Rusike, a Zimbabwean living in South Africa said she was headed for Sun city with her family.
“We are leaving this afternoon for Sun city and will be back on December 27,” she said.
Harare’s CBD was a hive of activity yesterday, with last-minute shoppers dashing from one shop to the other. Major supermarkets had huge promotions, which were meant to make the shopping experience bigger and better . Clothing chains like Edgars and Jet also had mark downs to allow families to buy presents for each other.
Exchanging gifts on Christmas is fast becoming the norm, with churches even joining in.
“Although there is a cash crisis, people are still buying gifts and business is better than on other days,” says Sheila from Zone boutique in First Street.
Fast-selling products included lingerie, shoes and dresses.
Mbare Musika, as always, was a bustle of activity, with many people catching buses to their rural homes.
Touts jostled to get passengers for the mostly “chicken” buses destined to the far away rural homes, which are often visited once every year around Christmas.
Amid the chaos, the nifty fingered ones made a killing picking people’s pockets as they were largely distracted by the overwhelming atmosphere.
For many, Christmas day will start with a church service, which on a day like this will be short to allow congregants more time with their loved ones.
Children still love to put on new clothes and receive gifts from their parents and friends.
However, there are those who carefully saved towards their holiday and booked in resort areas away from the bustle of the city.
Hotels and lodges in places like Nyanga with its gorgeous mountains, Vumba and its mystic weather and the ever popular Victoria Falls, are all fully booked.
