Mnangagwa birthday declared public holiday

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has declared September 15, his birthday, a public holiday with effect from this year, with the day to be known as Munhumutapa Day.

The declaration was made through Statutory Instrument 148 of 2026, which provides for September 15 to be observed as a public holiday every year henceforth.

"This notice may be cited as the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business (Declaration of Public Holiday) Notice, 2026," the statutory instrument reads.

"It is hereby declared that the 15th of September every year henceforth, shall be a public holiday to be known as Munhumutapa Day."

The name Munhumutapa refers to the royal title associated with the historic Mutapa Empire, which flourished in parts of present-day Zimbabwe and surrounding areas between the 15th and 18th centuries.

September 15 had already been marked by Zanu PF youths since 2018 in celebration of Mnangagwa's presidency.

The formal declaration of the day as a national public holiday is expected to fuel debate over the growing prominence of the President's birthday in the ruling party's political activities.

The development also comes against the backdrop of recent constitutional changes affecting the timing of Zimbabwe's next elections and Mnangagwa's tenure in office.

The introduction of Munhumutapa Day has further prompted criticism from sections of society who view the move as an attempt to associate Mnangagwa's presidency with the country's pre-colonial history.