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Nyore Madzianike
LOUD music is playing from the boot of a parked top-of the-range car and men and women in their 30s, clad in designer clothes, are singing along while sipping from whisky glasses.

A tray with an assortment of roasted meat is displayed on top of the car where it is accessible to the merrymakers, who intermittently pick some pieces.

The place is KwaMereki, which has attracted merrymakers over decades, with some travelling from outside the capital to spend time at the open space in the high density suburb of Warren Park D.

KwaMereki has been on top of outdoor leisure centres for a long time and it is still the place to be for many folks.
There are many other places like KwaMereki where outdoor fun and braai are favourite activities.

These include KwaFatso, KwaZindoga, Pahuku, Homeground, Megga 2, Junction 24 and Paramount, among others.
Depending on location and different motives of going out, people pick their leisure destinations from the list.

There has been an addition to the list — a A new place that is stealing hearts of leisure lovers in this bracket.
The place is called Mashwede Village along High Glen Road in Glen View.

Within six months of completion and sitting on a more than 7 000 square-metre piece of land, Mashwede Village has touched the hearts and souls of many merrymakers who are now thronging the venue for various entertainment services.
Spacious parking space and tight security are on top of the list of priorities of people who manage the venue.

The whole area within the village is paved with bricks, casting away the boredom that comes with dust raised by winds during dry seasons and mud during the rainy season.

The village owner, Alex Mashamhanda, believes bridging the gap between the ghetto and the upmarket is the new order of the day.

“The village was officially opened some few months ago with a performance from Jah Prayzah. We are now living in a modern world where there are no boundaries when it comes to entertainment and recreation,” he said.

“Our main thrust is to cater for every one irrespective of class. We have many bars around the village that are structured according to varying tastes.

“The village has some recreational services where people can also enjoy the luxuries of nature in the company of their beloved ones, even families.

“There is a children play centre and well-meaning families can come and enjoy without any hassle. We do have a braai area and a fast food outlet where pizza is also served.

“The food which is served is different from many other brands that people have tasted before because we have our own way of preparing the dishes,” he said.

Although the village owners have plans to bring various entertainers to spice up their everyday activities, they also have in mind the idea of bringing retail shops behind the entertainment arena.

They believe that after drinking and outdoor leisure, people also want to do shopping.
“We have people who enjoy shopping and we have to cater for them. This is why we have an industrial park behind the entertainment arena.

“There are small-scale entrepreneurs doing business behind the leisure centre and we have some retail shops coming to cater for those people who enjoy shopping on their outings.

“This sums up the whole idea of bringing all activities at one place. It is in our plan that we bring performing artistes to the village and this will be very soon” he said.

Mashamhanda said the village has not only done good to those who love outdoor entertainment, but also created employment for the many people, especially youths.

“Besides having an entertainment hub here, we are also driven by the idea of creating employment opportunities for people around the community.

“This is another way of developing our nation and local communities as well. We want our people to have somewhere where they can formally generate their income. This is one place where people can do that,” he said.