Bruce Ndlovu and Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondents
IT was supposed to be the biggest party of the year so far.
For weeks during the lead up to last Saturday’s Lost Train Party, the hype around the event started slowly building up and it was almost impossible to ignore the excitement around the gig.
Needless to say, the unique partying experience that the party offered was just too tantalising for the average Bulawayo revellers who were tired of doing the same old things every other weekend.
The idea for most of boarding a train, partying on it, before one was dumped at a remote location where they could dance their feet off with reckless abandon, promised an experience not to be missed.
A mix of people who have gone to the Jameson Victoria Falls Carnival and those who have yearned to go there had jumped at the opportunity to either relive or have a taste of the carnival’s train party experience right on their doorstep.
And the promises made by the organisers of the Lost Train Party Heritage Steam Safaris’ — Basil Mapfumo and crew — were too good to be true.
The cheapest ticket was $15, the next being $25 with a promise of a braai pack and six pack of whatever beverage one wanted. For $50 they could get the same with an added serving of breakfast, while those who forked out $100 got all of those perks plus the added incentive of accommodation.
Sceptics observed that since the gig was in the middle of winter, over excited revellers would find themselves freezing in the middle of nowhere without a source of heat in sight. For this particular problem, the organisers prescribed bonfires that would be dotted around the final destination to warm whoever started to feel the winter chill.
With such assurances and promises, people came out in their numbers and made the trek to the train station for the night adventure to an unknown location.
Something was fishy from the onset as the two trains that were promised had been cut down to one and that one train instead of leaving at 8PM left at 7.20PM. This change was made at the 11th hour by the organisers and saw some people being left behind. A lucky few caught the train at Mpopoma Train station and continued the journey with the other revellers.
The excitement that engulfed the revellers in the train was nurtured by the DJ who gave a wide range of dance beats to keep the dance coach packed.
Once on the train, it was clear that male revellers far outnumbered female ones. Inevitably with such a male-female ratio, testosterone levels were sky high and the train had not ventured far into the night when sporadic fist fights broke out. Some of them, it seemed, were racially motivated as youths began segregating themselves through creed and colour. Each one of these scuffles was extinguished quickly as it became clear that revellers were in a party, not fighting mood.
As the trolley waddled along the tracks, drinks were flowing and the party mood was getting to fever pitch. This is when things started going pear shaped.
Getting a refill of one’s favoured beverage became a headache as there was a long queue where the beverages were being sold.
They were sold out on one of the sleeper compartments which was also a problem as the corridors were narrow and the number of people who wanted their beverages outstripped the rate at which the bar people could supply them.
The prices were reasonable but the delivery to the masses was poor. What could have helped the organisers was to have one empty coach where the bar area could have been situated for a smooth sale of booze.
Those who had brought their own booze in cooler boxes were not affected much as they continued to dance the night away. They were however, affected by the fact that there were not enough toilets to accommodate people, especially women who said they would test their continence to the limit by holding it in until they got to the secret destination.
Somewhere along the way, the train slowed down and on the left hand side there appeared to be a white tent pitched in the middle of nowhere. As soon as the train stopped, those who were holding it in ran into the bush not knowing what they would stumble upon to relieve themselves, while others looked for the right spot to hump each other.
Nothing had been put in place by the organisers as the tent had no lighting, while the people who were serving food only started to set up when everyone else was there. The bar took a while to set up as well and the end result was that there was a lull for a full hour.
What was mind boggling is the fact that the same organisers were on the train partying with the revellers rather than going ahead to set things up in preparation for the incoming revellers.
For those that have experienced better organised gigs like the Vic Falls Carnival train party or Babongile Sikhonjwa’s train bash, the Lost party was nothing less than disappointing. While the people had turned up in their numbers ready for a night of excitement, the poor organisation around the event killed the sense of fun and adventure that was almost contagious among revellers.
The bonfires that were promised to people were non-existent, the free six pack of beer and braai pack were also not given to their intended recipients.
Security was at a minimum when revellers arrived at the venue as villagers made their way and mixed with the crowd. Some were not comfortable with the new faces that had come on board to party with them.
The stage that was supposed to house performers such as local Zimdancehall chanter Senko, Thabbz and Mzoe 7 did not materialise as it was not set up. Even Djembe Monks who were billed to perform did not turn up while the likes of DJs Barry Weber, Victor Bravo and Mzoe were conspicuous by their absence.
No ablution facilities were provided and the various flora at Red Bank, the final destination, were adequately watered by the revellers litres of body fluids.
Other revellers decided they could not wait for the train to set off for Bulawayo and decided to slog it out with a 10km journey along a bush path leading to the main road at 7AM.
After more than an hour, they got to the Victoria Falls road, caught a bus, paid $2 and in 30 minutes they were in the city.
The train left Red Bank the next day at around 10.30AM and arrived in Bulawayo at midday with tired and frustrated revellers who made their way home.
Heritage Steam Safaris will have a difficult time to convince people to buy into their product next time as Bulawayo revellers are a once bitten twice shy type of people. For all the promises that they made, they did not deliver and at the end of the day made money by only providing a train and not delivering on 90 percent of their promises.
This was surely one of the Greatest Train heists of all time!