Chigarapasi reopens

From Tawanda Mangoma in CHIREDZI
A new lease of life will be breathed into Chiredzi’s biggest suburb of Tshovani this Friday, as Zimbabwe’s arguably largest beer garden, Chigarapasi, reopens after council resolved to lease the facility for the next 12 months. Chiredzi Town Council closed the popular beer garden in December last year, sparking an outcry from Tshovani residents, whose socio-economic lives revolved around it, as it attracted hundreds of patrons everyday.

Government ordered its reopening following murmurs of discontent from residents in the sugarcane growing town.

Chiredzi Residents and Ratepayers Association chairman Mr Jonathan Muusha yesterday said they had reached a compromise with council, paving way for the reopening of Chigarapasi.

He said residents initially wanted council to continue operating the beer hall, but that would no longer be possible, as there was no budget for Chigarapasi in its 2017 financial year budget.

“Council explained to us that budgets had been done without consideration of Chigarapasi since some had proposed for it to be closed,” said Mr Muusha. “They had closed the beer hall’s accounts as of 31 December 2016.”

Chiredzi Town Council chairperson councillor Francis Moyo said council had given a private operator, Big Five Beers, a one year lease to run Chigarapasi.

He said it was not council’s plan to delay the reopening of the beer hall, but there were technical challenges sparked after residents resisted its privatisation.

“We have managed to identify a private operator, who will reopen Chigarapasi starting this Friday after we had to go to tender again,” said Cllr Moyo.

“It’s just that I don’t have finer details regarding the deal, but all I can say is we are happy with the development.”

Council is set to pocket $3 000 per month from the leasing of Chigarapasi and the revenue will be used as capital when council resumes operations at the facility.

Big Five Beers director Mr Five Muchehiwa said they were already on the ground sprucing up the facility to meet modern standards.

He promised to reignite the vibe which used to be associated with Chigarapasi.

“We are already upgrading almost everything, the toilets, the paintings and the refrigeration,” he said. “Our goal is to re-brand Chigarapasi so that it reclaims is pole position of being Zimbabwe’s number one home of entertainment.”

Mr Muchehiwa said musical live shows will be reintroduced at the facility, while harmony and coexistence with vendors from Chiredzi would be guaranteed.

Straddling over 16 273 square metres, Chigarapasi is arguably one of the biggest beer halls in Zimbabwe by landslide.

It opened its doors in the early 1980s mainly as a recreational place for thousands of low-income earning workers in the Lowveld sugarcane industry.