Highfields business grinds to a halt, as mourners bade farewell to Chiyangwa

THIS is not a script for a Hollywood funeral movie, although it fits into that category, measure for measure, except that it was in the heart of the ghetto.

Hundreds of mourners Tuesday thronged Machipisa Shopping Centre in Highfield to honour the late music promoter and businessman, James "Jimmy Jimalo" Chiyangwa as his body was taken to his bar for parade before being ferried to Chiyangwa Village in Zvimba where he will be buried today.

"After we take him via his sports bar we are going to take his body to our rural home where it will spend the night in our rural home, according to our custom, and then we will bury him at around Wednesday," said family spokesperson Phillip Chiyangwa.

The turnout was totally amazing and several mourners from Highfield said they would certainly travel to Zvimba to witness the burial as the late Chiyangwa was of great help to the community.

The teeming Old Highfield suburb in Harare yesterday had all other business grinding to a halt as scores of mourners from all walks of life, bade farewell to socialite, businessman and music promoter James Chiyangwa.

Chiyangwa, who died on Saturday after battling cancer that had spread to his lungs, will be buried today at Chiyangwa Village in Zvimba.

Mourners came in droves, on bare feet, in top-of-the-range cars and battered and ramshackle ones too - all to bid farewell to a hyperactive socialite.

Affectionately known by legions of his admirers as Jimmy Jimalo, or Futumuka Fulangenge, his was a send off befitting a celebrity, whose legacy of bling-bling and charisma, will be sadly missed.

As his body lay in state, Jimalo drew Zimbabweans in their broad totality to two days of partying, dance, music and imbibing.

A group of ladies wearing bandanas around their heads written "Jimmy Jimalo" or "MaSista" said the headgear was dedicated to the late because whenever the late Jimallo met them he would shout out "MaSista, maSista."

Led by women dance groups that used to perform at Jimmy Jimalo Sports Bar, the party reached fever pitch when Dendera musician Suluman Chimbetu took to the stage much to the delight of mourners.

To add colour to what was already a star-studded funeral, Media, Information and Publicity Minister Cde Webster Shamu, Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister Cde Nicholas Goche, former Harare Mayor Charles Tavengwa and Phillip Chiyangwa, the elder brother to Jimalo were part of the crowd that turned up at the send off.

The proceedings started at Jimalo's residence where a kilometre long convoy of buses, trucks and SUVs meandered to Jimmy Jimalo Sports Bar where Jimalo used to operate from with police controlling traffic.
The mourners danced and ululated as the hearse carrying the body briefly stopped at the popular hangout while some patrons reminisced on their moments with Jimalo.

The mourners especially the women clad in bandanas written "Jimmy Jimalo We Love You" waved their banners in celebration of his life.

The funeral was a spectacle for onlookers as there was plenty to watch from the prominent in society to fashion enthusiasts who were dressed to kill in all-black designer wear.

A stampede could have erupted had it not been for Minister Shamu who restrained crowds from storming the sports bar. Later, the hearse left the hangout heading to Zvimba for burial today. Jimalo was loved by many in his community and among his greatest traits was his humility and generosity.