The Sunday News
Simba Jemwa, Sunday News Correspondent
RESIDENTS of Bulawayo celebrated Christmas on a sombre note for the second year in a row amid fear and concern over the Omicron variant.
Unlike Christmas days of old, many people in Bulawayo struggled to host small home parties as the surging Covid-19 cases put a damper on Christmas celebrations for a second year running, forcing churches to cancel or scale down services and disrupting travel plans and family gatherings.
Residents have scaled back on large gatherings with friends and instead are choosing to spend time only with their immediate and extended kin.
And yet there is some festivity and cheer, with families making an attempt at spending quality time together.
Although Christmas traditions like carol singing were less visible as well, people across the city opted for low-key celebrations at home or in their neighbourhoods.
The country in general has been battling to contain surging infections while large gatherings have also been curbed.
Things were a bit brighter at some places like Luveve’s Chigumira Shopping Centre where families and small groups of people were observed braaing and enjoying a little cheer.
But for all intents and purposes, many families were just happy to have been able to spend a little time together.
And Covid-19 is not the only deterrent to what would have been otherwise very active holiday: incomes have been depleted by rising prices of not just basic commodities, but key items that have always reflected the festive cheer.
Many companies have been struggling for the past couple of years due to depressed incomes compounded by Covid-19 which has also meant employees were affected under these difficult circumstances.
Amidst the insecurities and never-ending pandemic threat, people are trying to make the most of the day.
Ms Theresa Ncube from Mpopoma said, “We had hoped to have a get together with friends and family. Today we will mostly stay indoors.
I wanted to prepare a big Christmas lunch like we used to but rising Covid-19 cases across the country are a cause for concern once again and the idea of having large number of people together became a major concern for my family and I so we shelved it and decided to just braai at home, share a few drinks and forget about a lot about what could have been.”
Another Mpopoma resident, Mr Colbert Mahlangu weighed in: “Initially, we had planned that we’ll be going for a holiday somewhere but the unprecedented rate at which the Omicron virus has been spreading across the country forced us to rethink our plans.
So, we decided to stay put and instead enjoy ourselves in Bulawayo.”
A woman at Chigumira Shopping Centre who was with her family said they had tried to do the best they could under very extraordinary circumstances.
Mrs Nonhanhla Moyo said she had barely been able to scrape together enough to take her children on this day.
“I am here with my children, but to be honest, there isn’t a lot of Christmas cheer going around.
I had to scrape the bottom of the barrel to be able to do this for my children, Covid has made life a living hell for everyone and this has also affected spending power,” said Mrs Moyo.
Christmas is a day of prayer, hope and joy amid adversities and worries during the Covid-19 pandemic, said many residents and believers.
In Mzilikazi, Mr Boyd Mapuranga a member of a pentecostal church opined, “We went to church today.
I must mention the way the mass was organised by the authorities in coordination with Government
recommendations was commendable. We had separate timing for the prayer service and nobody without a mask was allowed entry. On each bench, people sat at one metre distance even if you were members of the same family.
Everything was very impressively organised. We saw a smooth conduct of the ceremony.”
“At home for Christmas lunch, we had eight people, including members of extended family who are coming from Cowdray Park.
Christmas is typically a time of chatting with family and friends and having opulent meals but Covid-19 has forced people to do things differently.”
@RealSimbaJemwa
