Harare mayor has to hotfoot it to Christmas lights switch-on after snazzy Rolls overheats

WHAT was meant to be a polished festive showcase for City of Harare's Christmas lights switch-on turned into an unscripted and widely shared moment on social media platforms after Mayor Jacob Mafume's vintage ceremonial car broke down en route to the event.

- JONISAYI MAROMO

In the hours leading up to the ceremony, the City of Harare had actively promoted the occasion on its official Facebook page, sharing upbeat posts and photographs of city officials posing with the mayor's vintage Rolls-Royce.

In one post, the city declared: “We are ready...’ adding that the Corporate Communications team, which organised the event, was confident the 2025 switch-on would be “one of the best ever”.

Residents were invited to gather at Africa Unity Square at 5pm for the main event.

Earlier, the city had also posted that Mafume’s driver, Blessing Rutumhu, had conducted “final checks” on the vintage Rolls-Royce, which was to lead a procession from Town House in the Harare CBD, starting at 4.30pm.

However, the carefully choreographed plans did not unfold as expected.