How Tanzanians marked start of 2014 with gusto

Famillies enjoy fun times at Coco Beach on the Eve of New year.PHOTO|FILE 

By Songa wa Songa ,The Citizen Reporter

Friday, January 3  2014 at  10:28

IN SUMMARY

The expansive beach was a beehive of activity as there were several parties organised by different groups, all in the name of 2014. It was a sea of happy people on the shore of the soothing sea.

Dar es Salaam. It was the burst of fireworks, blasts from music speakers accompanied by euphoric dancing, ululations and booze as the clock ticked midnight on Wednesday.

While some sang Hallelujah to thank God for letting them see the New Year, others raised glasses of frothy beverages. Needless to say, Nyama choma and chicken were part of the party in the bustling commercial capital.

The city never slept; bars, clubs and streets were fully packed. Patches of families and friends gathered outside in their neighbourhoods as if there was a law forbidding an individual or families from ushering in New Year in privacy. And 2014 is not your ordinary year.

It is the one Tanzania is likely to get its new Constitution whose second and final draft was released at the tail end of last year.

In recognition of this uniqueness, city chiefs organised a big bash to welcome 2014, something never done before. Office of the Dar es Salaam regional commissioner pitched a tent at the Cocoa Beach in a feast that was attended by all three district commissioners of Kinondoni, Ilala and Temeke.

Temeke DC Sophia Mjema did the countdown and when she announced ‘Happy New Year’, the crowd went wild. Her Ilala counterpart Raymond Mushi and Kinondoni’s Jordan Rugimbana joined her as the trio lost themselves in the music just like the rest of the crowd.

The expansive beach was a beehive of activity as there were several parties organised by different groups, all in the name of 2014. It was a sea of happy people on the shore of the soothing sea.

One should be forgiven for thinking that Dar es Salaam homes were deserted on New Year’s night. For the crowds that thronged entertainment joints in the city suggested just that.

Kinodoni’s Mango Garden where the African Stars aka Twanga Pepeta Band was perfoming, was full of commotion by 10 pm, two hours before New Year. Likewise, Kijitonyama-based Business Park, where FM Academia aka Wazee wa Ngwasuma were doing their thing was equally full.

Almost all clubs in the city surveyed by The Citizen were full of revelers.

and it was hard to spot a bar or a neighbouhood grocery with empty seats.

While some city residents partied all night long, thanks to New Year 2014, others took the opportunity to celebrate in prayer. A prayer and worship event to welcome 2014 at the national stadium that featured several city choirs pulled a mammoth crowd.

http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/News/How-Tanzanians-marked-start-of-2014-with-gusto/-/1840392/2132986/-/sfi9i6z/-/index.html