Famous personalities give their 2024 resolutions

Tafadzwa Zimoyo

Lifestyle Editor

New year, new me? 

It seems even more relevant this year and that too, desperately.

Lots of people make resolutions for themselves at the beginning of a new year.

But, do we know the meaning of resolutions and do we keep them or it is just a statement to make on New Year? Well, they are targets or ambitions that people want to achieve, and can be big or small!

The Herald on Saturday Lifestyle spoke to a number of local stars on what they had up their sleeves for 2024. 

While some were eager to start fresh, others are making sure to carry forward important lessons and keep them safe for the times to come.

Below are excerpts from your favourite celebrities in their respective area:

1: Honourable Tatenda Mavetera  (Minister of ICT, Postal and Courier Services)

The greatest New Year’s resolution that I have is to work hard and achieve my results. It is very important to look positively for the year 2024. For the ministry side, I hope to work towards the connectivity of Zimbabwe to having a digitalised country. I am hoping that I come up with policies and legislation that will see us coming up with a digitalized post office, which will be efficient and reliable. For my constituency, I want to achieve the vision 2030 by having projects that encompass all people. For my family I want to achieve greatness, nurturing my children and supporting them. However, generally I believe in diligence, consistency and staying focused. Resolutions is planning and agreeing on what you want. If you don’t have a vision you perish. I believe in them. I feel in 2023 in my political life, the resolution was achieved. We also need to work on having affordable data for Zimbabweans. I want effectiveness and I believe in results.

2: Hermit Muyambo 

(Visual artist)

For 2024, I will be focusing on mental health issues using art therapy as a tool to help the affected. Resolutions to me are goals already in my five to 10-year plan. In 2023, I achieved 70 percent of what I had written and I am carrying over the remaining percentage into 2024. This year except for another Solo Art Exhibition and more Art Therapy workshops. My dream is to expand the use of Art Therapy for mental health-affected members of our society to include, drug abuse, sexual abuse, teen moms, and, depression patients.

3: Eleana Makombe 

(Gospel singer, composer)

I do believe in personal resolutions as these help shape my thoughts and visions about things I want to achieve. 2023 saw the birth of a vision through advancing the gospel of Christ. Last year held my first concert the Grateful concert. This is something we have carried over in 2024 and the years to come. I am releasing a new album and I am excited about this project. I will also be releasing a few single collaborations with other artistes across Africa. I am looking forward to more success in the music industry and will be working on a few projects which include collaborations and single releases.

4: Bevan Makaka 

(Businessman, arts promoter)

My 2023 was amazing as I started on good note though coming out of Covid-19 era, as the year unfolded, we started to see some growth. On philanthropic work, we achieved our goals as we managed to assist those disadvantaged in rural areas especially pastors and children. On entertainment, we managed to showcase the Zimbabwean talent in Dallas and Washington DC, United States. What I cherished the most was the network I managed to get. In 2024 we are going to have more cultural shows in US, and reach out to more artistes.

5: Busi Dube-Muleya 

(Ex-beauty queen, chairperson of Miss Tourism Zimbabwe)

I have some New Year resolutions and I tried to make them SMART – Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Timely – hence part of my resolutions includes, being more grateful as I need to be grateful for who and what I have instead of complaining. I need to try a new hobby which is golf. I have been spending more of my time working, and studying and I just realised that I’m so unfit and I have no time for healthy hobbies. I want to declutter my home. I noticed that I still have toys that my 15-year-old son used to use when he was a baby. Anything or anyone who doesn’t speak to my core values and purpose, I will unfollow and unfriend.

I do believe in resolutions. It’s like re-aligning and readdressing issues in one’s life that remain pending and are not addressed. Resolutions are like measurable goals, attained and timed. They can be personal. I can safely say that I did achieve my 2023 resolutions though I still carry on some. One resolution I made for 2023 was to be more accommodative, sadly I still haven’t achieved that as I still accommodate mediocre! I can’t tolerate meaningless conversations or half-baked work. I’m such a pusher and I thrive on perfectionism, which is not a good thing. One resolution I’m glad I achieved was being able to start a side business — the retail industry.

6: Edmore Ndlovu 

(Film-maker)

I need to expand my knowledge and skills. I need to set a goal to learn new filmmaking techniques, experiment with different genres, and run away from the norm so that I can explore emerging technologies and equipment that are reshaping our industry. I also want to complete a personal movie project which is my “passion project” which I have been writing for the past two years. Well, I believe resolutions vary from person to person. For me, New Year’s resolutions serve as a way to set my goals, create a roadmap for personal and professional growth, and motivate myself to achieve desired outcomes. It’s also a time for self-reflection and a fresh start to pursue new ambitions. I have achieved some of the resolutions and some are still in progress and I have carried them over into the new year. 

It’s important to reassess and adapt goals as circumstances change and to celebrate accomplishments along the way. I can say I will be releasing a feature film, bringing back ‘‘Wenera’’, venturing into online projects for YouTube and Facebook, and above all, I am launching my coming Film Academy I will share the knowledge I have accumulated in my years in the Film Industry with many upcoming filmmakers. Over the years I feel I have been dreaming big but acting small. This year I have changed that mindset set and I am gunning high and targeting to expand and to achieve International recognition. Also, my zeal is expanding my knowledge into understanding and exploring opportunities in virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and interactive storytelling.

7: Leah ‘‘Africandesign’’ Mubwandarika

I am a child of God and I always put God in the centre of my life. I want to continue creating a good relationship with God. I am turning 50 this year in July and this is a milestone for me half a decade. I love fashion and I want to take my talent to greater heights. I have a few models in the UK whom I am currently mentoring in the modelling and fashion world. In 2024 I will be attending Zim Girl Child USA as an ambassador for Zimbabwe Girl Child Mentor. Yes, I do believe in resolutions and 2023 was a great year full of mixed emotions though but I am happy I achieved my goals.

8: Malcolm Msindo 

(Perfume brand owner )

My resolutions for this year primarily revolve around pushing the boundaries of creativity in scent design, expanding our reach to newer markets, and fostering sustainability within our production processes. Resolutions, to me, are a roadmap for growth. They signify a commitment to continual improvement, both personally and professionally. They serve as guiding principles to steer me toward achieving my aspirations. 

I’m proud to say that I made significant strides in achieving my 2023 resolutions, particularly in establishing stronger partnerships and enhancing our fragrance collection. However, there’s always more to accomplish, so I’m carrying forward certain goals into this new year. This year, we’re set to unveil a ground-breaking collection inspired by diverse cultures and landscapes. We aim to introduce a revolutionary line that transcends traditional scent compositions. My dream this year is to create fragrances that not only captivate but also contribute positively to environmental sustainability. I’m driven to innovate and lead the way in eco-friendly perfume production without compromising on quality or luxury.

9: Pauline Likongwe 

(Cake maker)

I want my business to grow, increase cakes in my cake department, have more weddings, and reintroduce the wedding gowns department. l want to grow spiritually and read my Bible more than what l was doing the previous years. l also wants to stop worrying on things that l don’t have control over and focus more on things that l have control over. I do believe in resolutions and they mean a lot to me, as they help me not to lose track on what l want to achieve, They help me to focus and not to move blindly. I did achieve my 2023 resolutions and l have a few that am carrying over to 2024. My dream this year is to cater for 50 weddings.

10: Zolile Makeleni 

(TV host, actor and producer)

This year the aim is to grow 10 times fold. I want to establish the brand (Tsotsi) as a media giant. We want to ascertain dominance on both mainstream and social media, striking the perfect balance. I want to have three shows running concurrently that are all in different spheres so that I showcase my diversity. A drama series, talk show, and a sitcom. I would also love to engage in a lot of charity work, giving back to the communities that raised us. A lot of work needs to be done especially regarding the future of the younger generation. 

I do believe in resolutions, they are commitments, and one set to partake in a certain period. These resolutions are very important because they can help you achieve your goals and objectives that you set for yourself by working as a reminder and guideline. Most of the 2023 resolutions were met with some of them carrying over to this year for their fulfilment. I am living the dream, but I am very ambitious on the front of improving my skillset and knowledge this year so that I reach the point where I can make very significant contributions to the film and television industry.

11: Miss V Candy 

(Radio personality)

This year I’m big on self-improvement, learning new skills and advancing my knowledge and education base, as well as spiritual growth which is equally important as our relationship with God is the true foundation. Resolutions are a perfect way to help us visualize and write down our goals making it possible for us to be intentional, it’s somewhat of a cliché now but for those who take it seriously they materialise, I don’t call my resolutions per se but goals and targets which are not just annual targets but seasonal, quarterly etc. My 2023 was fruitful and productive, however, there are some targets I had set that did not materialize so you could say there are some carryovers yes, with a lot of introspection and self-assessment to have a clearer understanding as to why. This year I’m going to be more real with my content, as I’m getting into more detail.