adminVusumuzi Dube Sunday News Reporter
PREPARATIONS for Bulawayo’s 120-year anniversary celebrations are at an advanced stage with the Bulawayo City Council together with a number of organisations in the city putting together a number of activities.According to a schedule of programmes released by the city last week, the main celebrations will be on 1 June when the local authority and the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) will have a train ride to and from Figtree, where councillors, the city’s elders and residents are expected to participate.
Bulawayo City Council public relations officer Miss Bongiwe Ngwenya confirmed that all was in place for the celebrations, revealing that a number of people in the city were working together to ensure the success of these celebrations.
“The train ride is mainly a re-enactment of the arrival of the first train to the city and it will also give people, especially the young folk to get to experience the steam locomotives knowing that some have never been in a train their whole lives,” said Miss Ngwenya.
She revealed that after the train ride there would then be a procession from the main train station to the City Hall car park area where the main celebrations would be held.
“The City Hall car park is where we would expect the mayor, Councillor Martin Moyo, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs in the Metropolitan province of Bulawayo Cde Eunice Moyo and various speakers to give addresses all in celebration of this great day.
“This would be a day of festivities for the city because we will be officially celebrating 120 years, it is our birthday and like any other birthday this will be a great day, treated with the respect it deserves,” said Miss Ngwenya.
Clr Moyo also confirmed that everything was in place for the commemorations, urging all residents to turn up in their numbers to join hands to reflect on the past, present and where the city was going.
“One hundred and twenty years of existence is a milestone to any organisation. On that particular day we get to look back at what has happened to the city, the journey we have travelled till now and further reflect on the future.
“This is the very time when we have to develop a vision for the future, set aside all our differences, if any, and forge forward as a unit because the city is ours as a whole,” said the mayor.
The city will hold a clean-up campaign and donation of bins in the central business district on Tuesday. Friday has been declared a day of prayer and thanksgiving, with a prayer session set for the Large City Hall.
On Saturday 31 May, the city will hold a book sale and basking session at Zonke Izizwe shopping centre, where together with the selling of various books there will also be open air music. On the same evening, the city together with the Academy of Music will play host to the Hellenic School Choir and Orchestra.
After the main celebrations on Sunday 1 June, the city will also hold a teacher and student concert at the Academy of Music on 4 June and a golf challenge at the Harry Allen Golf Club on Saturday 7 June plus a City of Bulawayo walk and braai on the same day. The walk will start from the City Hall to Hillside dams, where the braai will be held.
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu