Millions of people make new year resolutions every year and some of them struggle to meet set targets.
Zimbabweans are fond of making resolutions that include quitting drinking beer, getting better education and working hard to take care of their families.
Zimbabweans are normally gripped by the festive mood this time of the year but indications are that there is little to celebrate this time.
Despite subdued celebrations, some local people have made resolutions for the coming year. Most of them hope to achieve various goals if the economic situation improves.
Shadreck Mareya, a teacher who is a moderate beer drinker, has resolved that he won’t take the so-called brown bottle anymore in order to get local respect while also improving his welfare.
“I personally believe that drinking beer is destroying my well-being in the community and will quit for a while probably and monitor the progress. I will also pray a lot in the coming year as I believe in God.”
Another local person in the eastern border city, Shephard Muradzikwa, concurs, noting that he is upset that the government made unexplained deductions on his delayed December salary.
WORKING HARD
He says deductions of up to $48 need urgent action like quitting beer drinking.
“Next year I will not be drinking beer as I no longer have the money because the little I used to earn they took away a quarter so am left with nothing for me to enjoy, so will keep the remainder for my children.”
Some locals like Christopher Chigwanda have committed themselves to ensuring that they work hard for their families even if the economic situation does not improve in Zimbabwe.
“I will try to counter the economic challenges facing Zimbabwe by working harder than before to make earns meet. I will strive by all means to cater for the family I have as I foresee drought and disaster ahead given the poor rains that are being received. However, I will ensure my family has something on the table.”
He says he has met his past resolutions by getting loans to meet some of his goals.
“I was able to buy some of the assets I wanted but had to use bank loans, the meagre salary that I get was not enough to meet the goals I had set, so will work hard to achieve that.”
But Muradzikwa is disillusioned after failing to meet his 2015 resolution of enrolling for a Masters’ Degree at a local University.
“My objective for the year was to enroll for a Masters Degree but the money I was earning was not even enough to enroll for a diploma course and all that was in tatters.”
AVOID DISAPPOINTMENTS
However, for Dangamvura resident, Edith Nyika, it is hard for her or anyone to make some straightforward resolutions for the year 2016.
Nyika says she will take each day as it comes to avoid disappointments as she has done in the past.
“ … 2015 was a difficult year for us as our salaries were being paid erratically and could not fulfill some of our goals and then to say what are the plans ahead it’s difficult. We were unable to pay school fees on time for our children.”
Simon Shumba, who washes cars in the city, almost shares the same sentiments though he believes that government has to set concrete resolutions of transforming the economy instead of people making such commitments without having a solid financial backing.
“Maybe the government can improvise its system of running things as was in the days of the 1990s when everything WAS nice. Now, these days it is trouble,” he says.
Most people cannot tell what the future has for them as they say the declining economy is causing havoc in communities that can hardly have food on the table. The government projects that the economy will grow by more than 3,5 percent in 2016 following a dismal 1,5 percent growth in 2015.