Online Reporter
Zimpapers Arts & Entertainment Hub
THE PARTY MAY BE OVER… OR AT LEAST TURNED WAY DOWN!
Harare is turning down the volume and following Bulawayo’s lead in a major crackdown on noise pollution, targeting bars, nightclubs, and big outdoor gigs popping up in residential zones.
After Bulawayo’s Munch & Sip event was silenced early by authorities, Harare’s Mayor Jacob Mafume has now fired warning shots at promoters, bar owners, and music lovers alike:
“We can’t develop a country by turning every street corner into a bar!”
During a heated council meeting on Tuesday, Ward 17 Councillor Happymore Gotora lit the fuse, complaining about booming parties and thumping basslines keeping residents awake near popular venues like Old Hararians, Homeground, and Belgravia Sports Club.
“People are running pubs in people’s backyards. It’s madness!” Gotora fumed.
Mayor Mafume didn’t mince his words either: “I don’t understand this obsession with turning the whole city into a shebeen. It’s like getting people drunk has become an industry!”
With noise complaints flooding in, the city now wants zoning laws tightened, nightspots relocated, and entertainment areas designated away from family homes.
Think Cape Town vibes — but Zim style!
“Let’s have one designated street where people can dance, drink, and go wild without waking up babies and grannies,” Mafume suggested, hinting at converting a section of the Avenues into Harare’s very own party strip.
Also on the cards? Soundproofed venues, a revamped City Sports Centre, and possibly a whole entertainment precinct to host mega-events like Doek & Slay, without shaking up the suburbs.
But not everyone’s clapping. Some partygoers say this could kill the vibe and choke creativity, while promoters are left wondering if the volume of fun in Zimbabwe is being turned off.
So, is Harare about to become a no-party zone? Or just cleaning up its act?
… the days of ‘party anywhere, anytime’ might be numbered.
What do YOU think? Is this the end of the all-night groove or a necessary step for sanity in the suburbs?
