Chronicle Editor
The festive lights are already on in many places. The colours — red and white — are back, dazzling.
The Father of the time is back too in that outfit and with the bell in hand, entertaining the kids with chocolate, sweets and the opportunity for a snap.
Over the next few days, the pay cheques will arrive for those in formal employment. For those who aren’t, but set something on the side since January for this time of the year, the time for them to empty their wallets is now.
The biggest party of the year will begin. People will spend on their best outfits, make-up, food, presents and travel. Those who will travel will do so from this weekend, peaking next weekend.
Businesses are preparing to deliver. Manufacturers, supermarkets, clothing and beer outlets, fuel suppliers, bus companies and the like. We hear that Victoria Falls is already fully booked until early next month. The same must apply for Nyanga, Kariba, Hwange, Matopos, Great Zimbabwe, Binga and Gonarezhou as well.
But not everyone celebrates Christmas in a resort. A number will do so at their rural homes. This will add numbers and colour to the countryside.
The team from South Africa and Botswana will next week pack Beitbridge and Plumtree border posts as they drive back home to celebrate and rest.
We are grateful to the Almighty for His favour for us to witness this moment yet again.
As we celebrate, we urge our people not to get too excited as if tomorrow will not come.
Christmas and New Year’s are two holidays only a week apart. The second week of January schools will open for everyone, those who overspent and those who spent within their means.
School fees will have to be paid and school uniforms will have to be bought.
Those who are driving over the next two weeks, must do so responsibly to minimise the risk of accidents so police don’t have the trouble of adding up the death toll; so, our health centres deal with inevitable illnesses.
Those who drink must do so responsibly as well. Just enough for them to enjoy themselves and relax, not to make fools of themselves.
We are confident police are, as they always do, deploying enough details and resourcing them appropriately for them to ensure our people celebrate well, at the same time enforcing law and order in case some of us get carried away.
On the 31st, the Thanksgiving and Dedication Service should be hosted in Bulawayo with, as is always the case, President Mnangagwa headlining it.
This highlights the centrality of the Church in national governance, over this Christian holiday and the year to some.
We, thus expect a celebratory and prayerful two weeks, as we close another successful but challenging year and look forward to a better 2025.
derick.khumalo