The Sunday Mail
NEWS that licensed bars and nightclubs can now reopen for fully vaccinated patrons touched off wild celebrations from Zambezi to Limpopo, as guzzlers welcomed another chance to dance the night away and tap wisdom from the wise waters once again.
If Zimbabwe had a gun culture, we could surely have heard the sound of celebratory gunfire across the country.
Called “kubhawa”, “kumudhako”, “kumafaro”, “kupurezha”, “kunakigwa” or “crèche yana baba”, most people simply love the independence and comfort that come with being in a bar.
“Inga doro rakanaka, haridhake asinganwe, kana bhawa rakanaka, kumba kwenyu harisvike,” sang nimble-footed Hosiah Chipanga in this yesteryear gem called “Muchaneta”.
There is something about bars and nightclubs that make the lion in some people roar.
In today’s street lexicon, people will tell you “bhawa rine kathat”.
In her weekly post-Cabinet press briefing, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the Government’s decision to give the sector a new lease of life had been motivated by concern over loss of income and employment.
“Cabinet notes with concern that the closure of licensed bars and night clubs has resulted in not only loss of income and unemployment, but also resulted in the mushrooming of illegal outlets.
“Cabinet, therefore, directed that all licensed bars be opened to fully vaccinated clients. Bar owners are also required to ensure that the World Health Organisation (WHO) protocols and guidelines are enforced, failure of which their licences will be withdrawn and will have to adhere to curfew hours,” the minister said in golden words that sent players in the entertainment industry busy.
As I commit pen to paper, gentle reader, there are long, winding queues at depots of beverage manufacturing firms, as bottle store and nightclub owners jostle to make up for lost time.
For nearly two years, people who operate bottle stores have been having it rough.
Some had to make do with playing cat-and-mouse games with law enforcement agencies, while others had resorted to unorthodox means of doing business, including locking up imbibers in disused freight cargo containers where they risked suffocation.
“We have been presented with a chance to revive our waning fortunes. Life was getting tough and we had stopped some of our boys and girls from reporting for duty because there was no work.
“We also lost a lot of money by operating backdoor services because these involve a lot of bribes. At times we were not so lucky as some police officers would not take the bribes,” one liquor outlet proprietor told this writer.
“It was a hard time, but we had to do what we had to do to survive. Things will take a long time to normalise because most of us who do not own the buildings from which we operate could not afford to pay rent during the lockdown period. Panga pakaipa,” one lady who operates a bar said.
The recent decision to allow them to resume operations, she added, did not, however, specify whether or not they could hire performing artistes to their joints.
“This entertainment business needs fresh meat, cold beers and music. It is not yet clear whether we are now allowed to bring in musical outfits. It will become clear as time progresses, but for now we are happy to have been granted the nod to operate.”
But it is not only bar owners who are happy to have been allowed to reopen.
Imbibers are over the moon.
“We are kissing goodbye to one of the toughest periods in life wrought by Covid-19. Staying at home and drinking from there had its challenges.
“Women no longer had room to do what they want or to lace our food with love potions, hence the surge in domestic violence. Now we are going back to where others will be, so there is a positive development there.”
Some stay-at-home moms were also upbeat.
“Regai zviende zvinonwa makorwa uko. We knew no peace in the homes because men were always on the doorstep with no chance to let us be. Let them go away and drink from bars because they disturbed our church meetings.”
Ladies of the night are also relieved, including the pickpockets who will be hoping to literally get rich pickings before the forthcoming festive season.
Poachers are also now back in action and will soon be back with the slogan “ndiitirewo one”.
Inotambika mughetto.
