malvernmugadzikwa
Society Reporters
CHRISTIAN denominations and musicians across the country are set to welcome the New Year in style by holding all-night vigils and live musical shows.
The majority of the church denominations will today host the so-called “cross-over nights” as they welcome 2024.
Members of the Apostolic Faith Mission will today meet in their clusters and praise the Lord for giving them an opportunity to welcome another year.
The City Hill, Arlington Estates and Airport Area assemblies will have their New Year commemorations run under the theme “The year of total victory”.
Pastor Batsirai Denga said, in holding the all-night vigils, the congregants will be thanking God for giving them the opportunity to get into 2024.
“Thanks be to God! He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have made it this far, hence there is every need for us to thank Him for the gift of life,” Pastor Denga said.
On the other hand, the Roman Catholic Church, which does not recognise the New Year cross-over concept, will be inactive today.
The church will continue with its pastoral programmes later in the month, with the Archdiocese of Harare running a pastoral programme titled “I am a missionary disciple in my small Christian community promoting a synod church”.
The Methodist Church in Zimbabwe will craft its 2024 programmes around the theme “Ambassadors of Christ”, which is inspired by 2 Corinthians 5:20.
Although the Muslim community will not partake in New Year festivities, a number of programmes that are set to benefit the needy will be rolled out during the New Year.
Sheikh Hakeem Abadi, the founder of the High Hope Foundation, said a programme that will run under the theme “Benefiting the community for the sake of Allah” will be rolled out today.
“We do not celebrate New Year’s Day but we will be running programmes whose aim is to cement the relationship that we enjoy with other religions,” Sheikh Abadi said.
Pastor Faith Munyuki, of the Ambassadors of Worship Family Ministries International, said members of his church are looking forward to a prosperous 2024.
In 2024, the church will be running under the theme “The season of breakthrough”.
On the entertainment scene, Jah Prayzah and the majority of the country’s musicians will today hold live shows as they bid farewell to 2023.
The artistes will also use their shows to welcome the New Year.
Jah Prayzah will today perform in Gweru. His manager Keen Mushapaidze said the stage has already been set for this gig, which is likely to bring the city to a standstill.
“Jah Prayzah is ready to usher Gweru residents into the year 2024 in style. Those who are going to attend will have times of their lives,” Mushapaidze said.
Other high-profile artistes who are going to perform today are Mbeu, Sulumani Chimbetu, Selmor Mtukudzi and Victor Kunonga, among others.
Mbeu, together with his band The Mhodzi Tribe, are performing in Harare.
Sulumani Chimbetu and the Orchestra Dendera Kings are going to perform in Kariba.
Selmor and Kunonga are going to perform in Harare.
Kunonga is excited to perform alongside Selmor.
“Selmor is more than a sister. Her father mentored me and performing with her is a way of showing gratitude towards her father’s kind gesture,” he said.
Online Reporter