{"id":11290,"date":"2025-12-18T07:16:52","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T07:16:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/?p=11290"},"modified":"2025-12-18T07:16:55","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T07:16:55","slug":"bulawayo-mayor-hosts-christmas-lunch-for-john-smale-childrens-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/?p=11290","title":{"rendered":"Bulawayo Mayor Hosts Christmas Lunch for John Smale Children\u2019s Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><br>Sithembinkosi L Jiyane<br>Zim GBC News Reporter<br>www.zimgbcnews.co.zw<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bulawayo Mayor, His Worship Senator David Coltart, together with the Mayor\u2019s Christmas Cheer Fund Board of Trustees, hosted a festive Christmas lunch for children from John Smale Children\u2019s Home at the Holiday Inn Hotel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The luncheon, was part of the city\u2019s annual festive season programme aimed at spreading joy and supporting vulnerable children within the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the years, the Mayor\u2019s Christmas Cheer Fund has consistently supported charitable institutions in Bulawayo, particularly during the Christmas period, demonstrating the city\u2019s commitment to social care and community solidarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Speaking at the event, Mayor Coltart expressed gratitude to the Holiday Inn for hosting the lunch, noting the importance of such gestures for children who rarely experience them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe are grateful to the Holiday Inn for their generosity in hosting this event, which means a great deal to the children,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Mayor also raised concerns about recent amendments to medical services legislation passed by Parliament, highlighting their broader societal impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAs a parent and a citizen, I am concerned about how these changes affect both unborn children and our teenage girls,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He praised John Smale Children\u2019s Home and similar institutions for their dedication to protecting vulnerable children and called for increased national support for such facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe must protect children born into difficult circumstances and increase support for homes and orphanages caring for the vulnerable. Every child is created with purpose and possesses unique talents that should be nurtured,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Holiday Inn Manager, Mr Nkosi Moyo, reaffirmed the hotel\u2019s commitment to community engagement, particularly during the festive season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe believe in giving back to the community. This is a time to be merry, a time to enjoy ourselves, and a time to have fun,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kudzai, representing the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, thanked the organizers for the thoughtful initiative, emphasizing the role of community, compassion, and leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMoments like these go beyond sharing a meal; they remind us of the power of community, compassion, and leadership that puts people first,\u201d Kudzai said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The John Smale Choir entertained guests with inspiring songs, while some children showcased their dancing talents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each child received a gift package before enjoying a delicious lunch, with laughter, music, and a warm sense of togetherness filling the venue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The event highlighted the care, support, and encouragement extended to the children, offering them a memorable festive experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u200eStay Connected with Zim GBC News:<br>\u200e\u00b7 X (Twitter): @ZimGbc<br>\u200e\u00b7 Instagram: @ZimGBCNews<br>\u200e\u00b7 TikTok: @ZimGBCNews_01<br>\u200e\u00b7 Facebook: Zim GBC News<br>\u200e\u00b7 YouTube: Zim GBC News<br>\u200e<br>\u200eGet real-time alerts on WhatsApp:<br>\u200e +263 773 820 323<br>\u200e<br>\u200eFor in-depth coverage, visit our website: www.zimgbcnews.co.zw<br><strong>\u200e<br>\u200eZim GBC News | Global News From An African Perspective\u00a92025<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sithembinkosi L JiyaneZim GBC News Reporterwww.zimgbcnews.co.zw Bulawayo Mayor, His Worship Senator David Coltart, together with the Mayor\u2019s Christmas Cheer Fund Board of Trustees, hosted a festive Christmas lunch for children&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11291,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[128],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11290","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community-and-gender-affairs"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11290","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11290"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11290\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11292,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11290\/revisions\/11292"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11290"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}