daniel chigunwe
Trust Freddy and Obey Musiwa
Harare was busy yesterday, as shoppers flocked to shops for last-minute Christmas shopping, while hundreds of travellers headed to rural areas to reunite with loved ones.
The city centre was flooded with people rushing to buy last-minute Christmas goodies, clothes, and get stylish haircuts, with salons and beauty parlours also bustling with activity as everyone sought to look their best for the holiday.
There were long queues at banks with people trying to withdraw banknotes from ATMs to spend where cards or transfers were impossible to use or not accepted.
Money transfer agents such as Paisa, Mukuru, Homelink and Western Union were also overrun with long queues as people collected remittances from the diaspora.
Streets in the central business district were heavily congested with vendors who had set up their wares on the pavements, making it difficult for pedestrians to walk.
The crowded conditions created an opportunity for pickpockets to strike, and the odd pedestrian could be heard screaming in distress after discovering that their cellphones or wallets had been stolen.
Most businesspeople who spoke to The Herald reported that they were running low on stock, as large numbers of customers flooded their shops.
Ms Chenai Wimbo, who supplies women’s hair products, expressed happiness with the high number of customers.
“During the first week of December, it was slightly quiet, but in the second week of December things became hectic.
“You would think that people only woke up on Wednesday and then remembered that it’s now Christmas, they just started to come in numbers.”
A shop worker, who preferred to be called Tariro and works at the corner of Sir Seretse Khama Street and Augustinho Neto Avenue said she was exhausted.
“This is not my shop, but my boss is making money,” she said.
“Since last week, I haven’t cashed anything below US$1 000 daily, and I guess it’s because we are selling kids’ clothes, which parents prioritise for Christmas.”
Meanwhile, a normally 15-minute drive from Herald House to Mbare bus terminus turned into a gruelling hour-long ordeal as all roads leading to the terminus were clogged with vehicles jostling to drop off passengers bound for rural areas.
The roads were congested with cars, taxis, and buses, all trying to navigate through the chaos, as travellers scrambled to catch long-distance buses.
At the bus rank, there was pandemonium as touts jostled for customers.
Some bus operators had increased fares, with Buhera routes now costing US$15, up from the usual US$10.
Masvingo fares had also risen, from US$10 to US$15, while Ngundu fares had jumped to US$20, from US$15.
As Christmas Day approaches, fares are expected to continue rising as crews take advantage of the festive season, before returning to their normal fares thereafter.
A Chiredzi-bound passenger, Ms Sarudzai Chaipa, said she had missed a bus that goes directly to Chiredzi.
“I am waiting for a bus that can take me directly to Chiredzi, but the ones that are available will take me via Ngundu. Just going to Ngundu costs US$20, and I might end up paying US$30, so I hope to find a direct one,” she said.
But on other routes, bus operators mantained the same fares. “If you look, Chinhoyi and Bulawayo routes are still the same , I hope they will not increase tomorrow (today),” Mr Tinashe Gwekwe said.
A bus driver plying the Harare-Karoi route, said: “Usually during this festive season we increase fares because people will be carrying a lot of luggage and the heavy weight translates to huge fuel consumption.”
Pushcart operators were also making money, as they were the most preferred option for carrying people’s goods, being capable of navigating the congested roads with ease.
“I am targeting US$100 a day, and I am praying that this congestion will persist, so that people will be dropped far from the bus stop, allowing us to charge them handsomely,” a pushcart operator who identified himself as Tindo said.
Similarly, at the Simon Muzenda Street bus terminus, some operators had marginally increased their fares with pirate taxis the worst.
Touts could be heard mocking passengers bound for Shamva, who were waiting for buses that cost US$3.
“You are hesitant to board this kombi, we’re going to increase the fare to US$8 from US$5 at 6pm ,” a tout said.
