By JAMES KUNDA, STEVEN ZANDE, BRIAN HATYOKA and JANE MWANSA –
A SUBDUED atmosphere characterised Christmas Day celebrations in Lusaka yesterday, with residents going about normal daily routine.
The central business district was quiet, with minimal human and motor vehicle traffic which was unusually normal, while a few traders had their stores open to sell their merchandise.
Other residents attended services in various churches in the city.
At Northmead Assembly of God Church, congregants were treated to various performances such as carols by the choir and Sunday school plays.
A check by a Times crew around Kabwata and Kamwala townships revealed that some residents took to cooling off at the nearest pub and grill, while others opted to stay home with families.
Meanwhile, the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) has recorded 18 Christmas babies.
UTH senior medical superintendent for women and newborn Maureen Chisembele said the first baby was born at 00:18 hours.
Dr Chisembele said of the 18, 10 were male while eight were female.
Lusaka Central Patriotic Front (PF) Member of Parliament Margret Mwanakatwe and Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary in charge of administration Kennedy Malama donated assorted hampers to the newly-born babies.
Meanwhile, Levy Mwanawasa Teaching Hospital recorded five Christmas babies.
Among the five was a set of twins.
Vice-President Inonge Wina and Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya donated baby hampers to the babies.
Ms Wina said babies that were born on Christmas Day were special and urged the parents to ensure they nurtured their children well for them to grow into responsible adults.
Livingstone recorded six Christmas babies.
The babies were born at Mahatma Gandhi Clinic, Livingstone Central Hospital and Maramba Clinic that recorded two babies each.
Livingstone Mayor Eugene Mapuwo presented Christmas hampers to a mother of twins at Livingstone Central Hospital as well as to mothers at Mahatma Gandhi Clinic and Maramba Clinic.
Mr Mapuwo, who did not find Christmas babies at Linda and Libuyu Clinics yesterday, urged the mothers to take care of younger ones as children were a gift from God.
“The pain women go through when delivering babies is huge and so I want to urge them to take great care of these children as some of the younger ones might be future leaders of this country,” Mr Mapuwo said.
“You never know where these children would be one day. Ensure the children grow the way God designed them to be.”
Mr Mapuwo also urged the people of Livingstone and Zambia at large not to celebrate Christmas by taking alcohol.
“If people are saying Christmas is the day when Christ was born, then why should they be drunk as a way of celebrating?” Mr Mapuwo asked.
“Let’s go to churches and worship. Zambia is a Christian Nation and, therefore, this day must bring us closer to God and not closer to drinking places.”
He urged Zambians to go to church and pray for national leaders as well as the governance of the country.
Kitwe Central Hospital has, meanwhile, recorded five Christmas babies.
Kitwe Central Hospital senior medical superintendent Joseph Musowoya said these were two girls and three boys.
The first child was delivered between 00:55 hours and 06:00 hours.
Speaking when Kitwe Mayor Christopher Kangombe donated baby hampers to the Christmas babies, Mr Musowoya thanked the local authority for the gesture and urged the mothers to take care of the babies.
And Buchi Clinic has also recorded five Christmas babies among them are three males and two female.