The ManicaPost
Ray Bande Senior Reporter
WORLD over, Covid-19 has forced the closure of many banquet venues, thereby leading to the postponement of many monumental events, including graduations, anniversary parties, global sports competitions, showbiz events, proms, baptisms and weddings.
Social distancing has also seen many public and private offices scaling down on their operations or closing shop altogether, at least until Covid-19 is under control. For weddings, it is actually a double whammy, hitting not only couples who have been planning to exchange nuptial vows for months or even years, but the wedding industry as well. Many lovebirds have been forced to reverse transactions of reserved venues and hotel rooms, hired dresses and decorations, booked catering and photography, hired entertainers and florists.
Unfortunately for the couples, there are significant portions of such funds that are non-reversible to cushion service providers during times like these. Even though most affected couples could not open up on their weddings’ fate, radio personality Yemurai Sasamba shared her depressing story. Better known as Speedo, the Diamond FM presenter said: “My wedding was scheduled for April 11, 2020. We had paid almost half of all the wedding expenses, including the videographers, décor and cake.
“This month-end, my fiancé and I were due to clear the balances on the wedding requirements. We had already printed the hard copy invitation cards. We had also circulated the video invites. Fortunately, in terms of catering, we were supposed to buy most of the ingredients this weekend, otherwise it would have been a big loss. Right now we are in the process of talking to our service providers. It is better for them to refund us rather than keeping the money because this postponement is indefinite. Everything now depends on when the coronavirus gets under control,” she said.
Her bridal shower, which was supposed to be held this weekend, has also been cancelled. Naturally, the decision to postpone both the bridal shower and the wedding was devastating as much as it was inevitable.
The couple understands that postponing the wedding is a way of stopping the spread of coronavirus.
“Postponing was really difficult. Initially we toyed with the idea of accommodating 100 people. However, we knew this was going to be tricky given that the guests are drawn from different parts of the country. Besides, we both come big families.
“When the President announced that the maximum number of people in any public gathering should not exceed 50, it actually helped us make the decision to postpone” she said.
Mutare marriage officer Pastor Davies English said: “I was supposed to officiate at three weddings, the couples now have to shelve their wedding plans.
“It is my prayer that things will get back to normal soon so that the lovebirds can go ahead with their plans,” said the pastor.
Zimbabwe has suspended all court weddings for the next two months as part of drastic measures to curb the spread of Covid-19. The suspension was announced by Chief Justice Luke Malaba on Monday, buttressing President Mnangagwa’s ban on public gatherings exceeding 50 people. The announcement came a few hours after youthful broadcaster, Zororo Makamba, became the first Zimbabwean to succumb to Covid-19.
But while public gatherings are on hold, lovebirds who were set to tie the knot still have each other.
After all, it is said two is company, three is a crowd.
