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Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent

Bulawayo is set to come alive during the Independence Day celebrations next month as a gala, carnival and children’s party are set to be held in the city.

To celebrate Zim@40, a series of events will be held in the city, the host province of the main Independence Day celebrations. This will be the first time the city hosts the national celebrations in the country’s history. 

Organisers said preparations for the celebrations being held under the theme “Zim @ 40 – Defining the Decade towards the Golden Jubilee” were well underway.

Bulawayo provincial information officer, Miriam Chigonde said on the eve of Independence Day – April 17 – the city will host two events, a children’s party where the First Family will be the guests at the ZITF Hall 2 and an Independence Welcome Dinner at the Bulawayo Large City Hall in the evening.

When the clock strikes 12AM, marking April 18, Zimbabwe’s Independence Day, there will be a fireworks display in the CBD from atop the Tower Block.

Thereafter, an Independence Day Carnival will be held. With 40 floats, the carnival will have two routes, one in the Western suburbs and the other in the Eastern suburbs. These floats will showcase the country’s achievements over the 40-years with the carnivalistas set to converge at Barbourfields Stadium where the main celebrations will be held. Once people have convened, mass displays will be conducted alongside performances from artistes who are yet to be confirmed.

Afterwards, there will be a luncheon at the State House in Bulawayo where again, artistes will perform. While dignitaries will be meeting at the State House, football giants Highlanders and Dynamos will lock horns at the Barbourfields Stadium for the Independence Cup.

Thousands of people in Bulawayo are expected to witness the independence celebrations main programme for the first time since 1980 after having watched the main programme on television for the past 39 years. 

Bulawayo artistes who have been urged to use this platform to showcase their talents to a national audience are already geared up for the celebrations with some working on a Zim@40 Exhibition that will be conducted at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo on Independence Day.

Last year, the Government resolved to rotate among provinces, the holding of the Independence Day celebrations main programme that had since 1980, been held in Harare in a move to further promote unity and inclusivity. 

Speaking during a meeting with civil society organisations from Matabeleland region at State House in Bulawayo last month, President Mnangagwa said this year’s main Independence Day celebrations will be held in Bulawayo for the first time in recognition of the role the city played in the liberation war history.