A cheer of awe and wonder rose from the thousands of people perched on the edge of the Zambezi river valley yesterday afternoon as a full solar eclipse blotted the Sun from the sky and cast an eerie glow across a vast stretch of Southern Africa.
Stars appeared in the afternoon sky and a chilling eclipse wind blew across the valley as the Moon, passing between the Sun and the Earth, darkened a path across Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique and the island of Madagascar. It was the fist total solar eclipse in the new millennium.
"This is a holy moment," said a Zimbabwean, Willie Legge. "It brings all of us closer to the forces of nature."
A mood of elation swept through the crowd as the eclipse occurred. Thousands of people gathered along the side of the road having picnics for the event. "This eclipse is coming at the right time for us and Zimbabwe. People are happy to forget about our sick political situation. This is a great way for us to release our frustrations," said Elijah Chiwota.
Many rural Zimbabweans stayed inside their huts throughout the natural wonder after being warned that they could go blind if they looked at the Sun's rays during the eclipse. "We are under house arrest," joked Tabeth Ngazana. "My mother heard the warnings that we could be blinded so she kept us all indoors. She even ordered my brother to stay home from school. She locked the door and had a chamber pot so we could not go outside even if we needed to use the toilet."
Not even Zimbabwe's ongoing political and economic crisis could overshadow nature's spectacular display. President Robert Mugabe commanded police and security agents to ensure the safety of thousands of tourists and ordered that adequate supplies of fuel be made available. But many visitors were unnerved to experience roadblocks where armed officers searched all vehicles. Tourists were also rattled to find that police and agents of the Central Intelligence Organisation were stationed at hotels, restaurants and bars.
In an address to the nation on state television on Wednesday night Mr Mugabe welcomed tourists but he could not resist lashing out yet again at journalists. "You will find that this country which the media routinely besmirch and depict in hateful and horrid images is highly discrepant from the safe and serene destination you have chosen to visit." The government barred a BBC television crew from covering the eclipse because it had not applied for accreditation before entering the country. Leaders of the Traditional Healers' Association have forecast that the eclipse would bring increased troubles and misery to Zimbabwe. "Traditionally Africans believe that an eclipse foretells a major change. It can be a turning point," said a Zimbabwean, Barbara Kaim. "We are hoping and praying that this eclipse will bring a change for the better to Zimbabwe."
A Zimbabwean tourism operator, Mostaff Matesanwa, said he was thrilled with the increase in business. He complained that Zimbabwe, which had once been Southern Africa's premier tourist destination, is now playing second fiddle to Zambia as a result of the country's crisis.
Neighbouring Mozambique declared a holiday to mark the eclipse while Angola arrested three people on suspicion of distributing fake protective glasses.