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Families have organised end of year parties while the different entertainment joints have lined up events to entertain revellers until tomorrow morning. The celebratory mood has already gripped the nation as it bids farewell to 2011 and welcomes 2012.
The celebrations to mark the New Year have over the years unfortunately been marked by ugly scenes. The excitement has in some cases ended tragically as a result of individuals failing to control themselves.

Motorists often mark the coming of the New Year by driving in circles at dangerously high speed while blowing their horns very loud so as to produce deafening sound.
In the suburbs there is this tradition of residents emptying bins on the roads while at the same time vandalising infrastructure such as road sign posts.
Some families blast fire crackers to mark the coming of the New Year. The coming of the New Year is a big event in every sense and there is therefore every reason for us to celebrate it. It is the time when we reflect on our achievements of the year, the challenges we faced, our failures and probably map the way forward for the coming year.

It is therefore important that as we merry-make to mark the coming of the New Year we do so responsibly. There is no reason why we should empty bins on the roads or vandalise infrastructure. Most urban councils are already failing to regularly collect refuse so if we empty the bins on the roads we are just worsening an already bad situation. Driving dangerously as a way of celebrating the coming of the New Year should be avoided as it does not only put the lives of the driver and the passengers at risk but that of pedestrians as well.

There is, therefore, a need to exercise restraint as we celebrate the coming of the New Year. People should be allowed to enjoy peace and as we celebrate we must be mindful of the fact that whatever we do should not disturb the peace of our neighbours. The police should be out in full force to ensure law and order prevails as people celebrate the coming of the New Year.
We want to once again call upon each and every Zimbabwean to act responsibly so that we enter the New Year in good health and ready to contribute to the development our beloved Zimbabwe.