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Chamisa's lawyer warns Munhumutapa Day could signal Constitutional shift
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TOP lawyer Advocate Thabani Mpofu has warned that President Emmerson Mnangagwa's decision to declare his birthday a public holiday could signal an attempt to alter Zimbabwe's constitutional order, potentially paving the way for a monarchy.
Mnangagwa declared September 15, his birthday, a national public holiday to be known as Munhumutapa Day.
Writing on X, Mpofu said the move should not be dismissed as "senile madness", arguing that it represented a more serious threat to Zimbabwe's constitutional framework.
"In my view, the Munhumutapa declaration is significant. It sits somewhere between CAB3 and CAB4, and the fact that Mnangagwa issued it on the same day he announced plans to remain in power beyond 2030 should give us serious pause," he wrote.
"I choose to see it, insane as it may sound, as the beginning of an attempt to alter our constitutional order; perhaps the first step towards a monarchy. Ladies and gentlemen, this is not senile madness. It is something far more troubling: a desecration."
The declaration was made through Statutory Instrument 148 of 2026 under the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business Act and was published in the Government Gazette Extraordinary on September 9.
The statutory instrument states that September 15 every year shall henceforth be a public holiday known as Munhumutapa Day.
Munhumutapa, also known as Mwenemutapa, was the royal title used by rulers of the pre-colonial Mutapa Empire, which emerged in the 15th century and covered parts of present-day Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The title is commonly translated as "lord of the conquered lands".
The Government has presented the holiday as a celebration of Zimbabwe's pre-colonial history and civilisation.
However, the move comes amid growing controversy over Mnangagwa's political future, with some of his supporters calling for his presidency to be transformed into a monarchy.
It also follows the passage of a constitutional amendment that extended the presidential term from five to seven years, while Mnangagwa has indicated that he intends to remain in office beyond 2030.
Mpofu's remarks have added to the debate over whether the Munhumutapa Day declaration is simply a cultural and historical commemoration or part of a broader political project to reshape Zimbabwe's constitutional order.
Mnangagwa declared September 15, his birthday, a national public holiday to be known as Munhumutapa Day.
Writing on X, Mpofu said the move should not be dismissed as "senile madness", arguing that it represented a more serious threat to Zimbabwe's constitutional framework.
"In my view, the Munhumutapa declaration is significant. It sits somewhere between CAB3 and CAB4, and the fact that Mnangagwa issued it on the same day he announced plans to remain in power beyond 2030 should give us serious pause," he wrote.
"I choose to see it, insane as it may sound, as the beginning of an attempt to alter our constitutional order; perhaps the first step towards a monarchy. Ladies and gentlemen, this is not senile madness. It is something far more troubling: a desecration."
The declaration was made through Statutory Instrument 148 of 2026 under the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business Act and was published in the Government Gazette Extraordinary on September 9.
The statutory instrument states that September 15 every year shall henceforth be a public holiday known as Munhumutapa Day.
Munhumutapa, also known as Mwenemutapa, was the royal title used by rulers of the pre-colonial Mutapa Empire, which emerged in the 15th century and covered parts of present-day Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The title is commonly translated as "lord of the conquered lands".
The Government has presented the holiday as a celebration of Zimbabwe's pre-colonial history and civilisation.
However, the move comes amid growing controversy over Mnangagwa's political future, with some of his supporters calling for his presidency to be transformed into a monarchy.
It also follows the passage of a constitutional amendment that extended the presidential term from five to seven years, while Mnangagwa has indicated that he intends to remain in office beyond 2030.
Mpofu's remarks have added to the debate over whether the Munhumutapa Day declaration is simply a cultural and historical commemoration or part of a broader political project to reshape Zimbabwe's constitutional order.
Source - Pindula
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