ZIMBABWEANS from all spheres of life yesterday flooded the Central Business District (CBD)’s shops doing their last minute Christmas shopping yesterday while hundreds of travellers took to the road or sought transport to visit their loved ones across the country.
In Harare, one could barely walk in the CBD as people were in a frenetic last minute search for Christmas goodies, clothes for the holiday which is usually celebrated with a family and close ones.
Supermarkets and clothing stores were packed, with shop assistants battling to serve a surge in customers.
There were long queues at banks with people trying to withdraw money to spend during the festive season, while others wanted money to travel to different places to spend the holiday with their loved ones.
Money transfer agents such as Paisa, Mukuru, Homelink and Western Union were also inundated with long queues as people collected remittances sent by their loved ones from abroad.
Some people were queuing at the agencies that deliver groceries bought in from South Africa and Botswana or online.
Streets in the CBD were congested with vendors and people could hardly walk while vehicles were also congesting the roads.
At ranks, there was pandemonium as touts jostled for customers who were travelling to different destinations.
Taking advantage of the pandemonium, pirate transporters came in, hiking fares as the legal public transport system appeared overwhelmed.
Some touts were already in a Christmas mood and could be seen imbibing different brews, playing cat-and-mouse with the police.
Most people expressed joy at the availability of basic commodities whose prices remained stable since the second half of the year after a particularly rough period of rising inflation before.
Mr Tapiwa Masvimbo from Whitehouse said he came to the bank in the morning expecting to withdraw his money early and do his Christmas shopping but he was still stuck in the long queue by midday.
“I came into town around 7 in the morning but the queue at the bank was already long so I am expecting that by the end of the day, I will withdraw my money and buy clothes and groceries for Christmas for my family. I am happy that in as much as there are a lot of people in town, basic commodities are still available and we can buy them anytime,” he said.
Mr Johnson Zvimba from Epworth said that as much as he was happy that he managed to buy all the groceries and clothes for his family, he was concerned with the way touts were handling people at ranks.
“I am happy that I have managed to buy all the stuff I and my family wanted for Christmas and we hope this is going to be our best Christmas ever. The problem is that I have been here at the rank for more than 30 minutes and touts are causing chaos, manhandling people from boarding some vehicles,” he said.
On the other side of town known as “kuma tuckshop”, people were also teeming into the shops for last minute purchases.
One of the buyers, Mrs Cathrine Muremba said although there were a lot of people in the downtown area, goods were cheaper compared to supermarkets if one has foreign currency.
“I always do my Christmas shopping here at the tuckshops because their goods are cheaper if a person has United States Dollars (USD). Their rate is reasonable and you can buy a lot of groceries that can last up to the end of January,” she said.
The shopping trend is expected to continue today as some supermarkets will be opened for business with retailers hoping to mop up people’s increased disposable incomes.
At Mbare Musika, and other passenger pick-up points such as the blocks of Sam Nujoma Street north of Herbert Chitepo Avenue going northwards for Mashonaland Central, people could be seen jostling for transport, with private motorists recording brisk business.
There were hundreds of people at Robert Mugabe Road and Fifth Street, outside Roadport bus terminus, where travellers to Mashonaland East and Manicaland waited for transport.
In Bulawayo, major bus termini, depots and popular hiking spots were a hive of activity yesterday as bustling crowds of people jostled to catch buses to travel to various destinations ahead of Christmas.
Some companies closed yesterday for the annual Christmas holiday shutdown.
The number of travellers using Beitbridge Border Post increased as Zimbabweans based in Eswatini, Lesotho and South Africa returned home for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
Authorities at Beitbridge Border Post said there has been an increase in the number of travellers entering the country through the port of entry.
Yesterday, the border post was a hive of activity as travellers moved to and from Zimbabwe.
Official border statistics show that an average of 24 000 travellers, 2 000 light vehicles, 1 000 commercial trucks and 200 buses are crossing the border daily. At Renkini, there was a commotion as scores of travellers jostled to catch buses. Bus crews could be seen trying to outdo each other as they touted for passengers.
There was a continuous inflow and outflow of buses with a scramble between those who wanted to alight from the buses and those intending to board.
Equally, the terminus was abuzz with vendors selling their wares, from food items to trinkets. The vendors shouted out their prices as they advertised their wares to hordes of travellers.
Some delighted passengers peered through the windows as they waved at their loved ones who were seeing them off. Transport operators plying rural routes have also increased fares capitalising on an increase in the number of people travelling to their homes to spend Christmas with their families.
Buses plying the Bulawayo-Nkayi route are now charging US$20 for a single trip up from US$10.
Buses plying the Bulawayo-Kezi route are now charging US$5 from US$3 while kombis are charging US$7.
Buses are charging US$10 for a trip from Bulawayo to Lupane while those travelling to Binga will have to fork out US$15. Previously they charged US$10 for a single trip.
Transport operators who spoke to the Chronicle yesterday attributed the fare increase to the holiday rush which has prompted them to increase the number of trips to meet the demand.
A bus driver plying the Bulawayo-Nkayi route, Mr Benedict Ngwenya said: “Usually, during this time of the year, there is demand and this forces us to increase the number of trips, which translates to more fuel consumption hence the increase in fares.”
“We also have some people who opt to send their groceries home, and we charge the luggage depending on the weight,” said Mr Ngwenya.
A vendor operating at Renkini, Mr Witness Ncube said due to the predicted El Nino-induced drought, business was low.
“I sell farming implements such as hoes, and ploughs and during this time of the year, business is brisk. However, this year, business is low and I guess it is because of low rainfall patterns,” he said.
A passenger Mrs Sihle Sithole said despite the fare hike, she was excited to be visiting her parents in Nkayi for Christmas.
“This is the only time we get a chance to visit our parents in the rural areas because of work and other commitments. The bus fare has increased, but all the same, I am happy since I will able to spend Christmas with my parents and children,” she said.
Bulawayo Bus Operators Association chairman Mr Patrick Dube urged drivers to prioritise the safety of passengers.
“As bus operators, we always advise our drivers to adhere to road traffic laws, especially during holidays such as this one when there would be a lot of movement and road traffic accidents,” he said.
Police and the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) are also running a road safety campaign to educate people on the importance of adhering to road traffic laws to avoid accidents.
In an interview yesterday, TSCZ communications officer Ms Lucy Kuwandira said the campaign started on 18 December and will run until 7 January.
“The theme for this campaign is ‘Together we can save lives’. We chose these dates because this is when most people will be travelling for the festive holidays. The campaign is targeting everyone who uses the roads because it is everyone’s responsibility to protect each other from any accidents that happen on the road,” she said.
Ms Kuwandira urged motorists to adhere to traffic laws and attributed most of the accidents to human error such as speeding and drunk driving.
“The campaign is being run from highways where roadblocks have been mounted and we are working with the police. Traffic safety officers and the police are educating people on these roadblocks because we want an accident-free festive season,” she said.
Meanwhile, Bulawayo acting police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele said they have deployed more officers to enforce traffic rules and regulations and combat crime during the holiday period.
She said police will be conducting patrols throughout the city.
“We also have deployed enough manpower to do patrols during the holiday. For those who will be travelling and leaving their homes unattended, they should inform us so that we are on the lookout,” said Asst Insp Msebele.
“We do not charge people for such services. People should just come and report at their nearest station and police will make sure they go and check the house regularly.”
Herald
