President Emmerson Mnangagwa has officially declared September 15 as a public holiday named Munhumutapa Day, through Statutory Instrument 148 of 2026. The date is also the President’s birthday, and the holiday will be observed annually henceforth, according to the proclamation published in the Government Gazette on September 9, 2026.
The name Munhumutapa, also spelled Mwenemutapa, was the royal title of the rulers of the Mutapa Empire, a pre-colonial kingdom that covered parts of present-day Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The title translates to ‘lord of the conquered lands’. The holiday is presented as a celebration of Zimbabwe’s pre-colonial history and civilisation.
The declaration comes amid increasing political controversy over Mnangagwa’s consolidation of power. Earlier this year, the President pushed through a constitutional amendment extending his second term from five to seven years, effectively postponing elections until 2030. Some of his supporters have openly suggested transforming his presidency into a monarchy.
At the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo in Masvingo on the same day, Mnangagwa told delegates that he would still be in power in 2035, further fueling speculation about his long-term ambitions.
Opposition figures and civil society groups have criticized the holiday declaration as an attempt to create a personality cult around the President. They argue that public holidays should honour national heroes or historical events, not living politicians, and that the timing of the declaration is suspicious given the recent constitutional changes.
The first Munhumutapa Day will be observed on September 15, 2026.
