Mugabe resignation lights up Harare

LAST Saturday Harare came alive with the masses coming together calling for the resignation of the then President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe.

The atmosphere on the day was just mesmeric with The Wall Street Journal’s Joe Parkinson describing it as similar to when he covered Spain’s World Cup win.

With the public having made their statement with the solidarity rally and march, as various other stakeholders piled pressure for the President to resign, and with an impeachment process in the pipeline, news that the president had signed on the dotted line filtered to the public as the sun was setting on Tuesday.

The capital city immediately exploded into celebrations as this marked an end to an eventful 37-year reign and the prospect of a new era in the country.

A few minutes after the announcement, club owners did not waste any time in circulating invites for people to come and celebrate the historic moment at their watering holes, a call that was heeded by many as the usually quiet Tuesday night-life transformed into something else.

While the party started off in the streets, with hooters, loud cheers and Jah Prayzah’s “Kutonga Kwaro” blasting away all over the place, later on people headed for the various night spots that were open on the day.

Clubs that usually open only during weekends quickly made arrangements to get their staff and DJs to work in order to cash in on the crowd that was ready to party the night away.

Getting word out that they were open for business was easy, thanks to the social media craze.

The Sunday Mail Society visited various leisure spots around the city on the night in order to capture what was taking place.

Pablo’z VIP Deck

Being one of the most popular clubs in town with their Royal Fridays and Summer Sauce Saturdays, it was no surprise when they managed to attract large numbers on Tuesday night.

With top wheel spinner Raydizz and his partner in crime Trill Angel being called in to entertain the crowd, nothing else would have been better to cap off such an epic night. The multiracial crowd, the majority lighting up the place with colours of the national flag, was in cloud nine, creating a festive mood that carried on into the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

Eclipse Bar and Grill

This place did not even need to advertise — it is next Parliament building, where most of the action on the day was taking place. While most people continued celebrating on the streets until way after midnight, Eclipse proved to be the nearest joint to be for those who needed the club vibe.

The people that turned up choked up the skeletal staff at the place. Ignoring the fact that service was slow, patrons were in a jovial mood with the DJs dishing out danceable numbers from across genres.

1+1 Happy

Dancehall Freaky Fridays and The Family 263’s Revel Saturdays are among the capital’s most vibrant party concepts, making 1+1 a go to place during weekends. Put the Family 236 in the same joint on a Tuesday night, pile the place up with people already in a carnival mood and what you get is a magical night, which is exactly what happened on the day the Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda received Robert Gabriel Mugabe’s resignation letter.

The group of DJs made up of Selekta Base, Snizzle, Fujee, C Skills, MC Cut, Tate da MC and Burtla came out in full force and had the crowd rocking the night away. In a club that thrives on urban music, it was the current national anthem, “Kutonga Kwaro” that had the place going wild and it had to be repeated several times as the crowd could not have enough of the track.

It seemed like a weekend party as people were not willing to leave early as they kept on partying way into Wednesday morning.

Private Lounge

This recently renovated joint also had a good crowd coming through to enjoy the night in a more chilled and laid back environment.

This was a great opportunity for many people who have not been to the club since it was remodelled to have a glimpse of the new look Private Lounge, with all the fancy booths and VIP platforms.

Nothing would have diluted the night’s atmosphere as the beautiful dancers had patrons drooling while they enjoyed their drinks.

Holly’s Hotel

Those who have been to this club will confess that it can easily be the representation of the word “Harare” because it never goes to sleep every other day of the week. The place is usually the last port of call for many die hard party people who want to have a blast till the sun comes out, which is why the place was still packed and people were still trickling in even as dawn approached.

Just like at every other joint, national flags were the order of the day with people expressing how they were feeling about the events of the moment.