As years pass, so do they remain the same, says an old adage; and some would like to call it ‘history repeating itself.’

Apparently, the 2024 calendar is a perfect match to the 1996, which also had 366 days and started on a Monday.

The seven years that share the same calendar in the current 200-year time-frame include 1940, 1968, 1996, 2024, 2052, 2080 and 2120, according to time-and-date.com.

It remains to be seen if the events that characterised the year 1996 are going to repeat themselves, some are obviously not going to.

Of course some of the past events can’t repeat themselves, neither can they be changed.

In Zimbabwe one of the key events in 1996 was the disputed Presidential election which was held on 16 and 17 March 1996.

The election were contested by the incumbent President Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe Rhodesia-era Prime Minister Abel Muzorewa, and ZANU–Ndonga leader Ndabaningi Sithole.

Mugabe won, claiming over 90% of the vote, though turnout was just 32.3%, largely as a result of Sithole and Muzorewa withdrawing their candidacies shortly before the election (though their names remained on the ballot) due to threats of violence.

Zwnews