Zimbabweans Observe Public Holiday To Mark President’s Birthday

The Zimbabwean government has declared September 15, President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s birthday, an annual national public holiday.

The new holiday, known as Munhumutapa Day, was created through Statutory Instrument 148 of 2026, according to local media reports.

ZBC News reported that, a notice announcing the declaration was published on Wednesday.

“His Excellency the President, in terms of section 2(2) of the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business Act [Chapter 10:21], hereby makes the following notice:

“1. This notice may be cited as the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business (Declaration of Public Holiday) Notice, 2026.

READ ALSO: Tinubu Mourns Ex-Gongola Governor Bamanga Tukur On 90th Birthday

“2. It is hereby declared that the 15th of September every year henceforth shall be a public holiday to be known as Munhumutapa Day,” the notice read, according to ZBC News.

The declaration coincides with Mnangagwa’s 84th birthday and was presented by the government as a celebration of Zimbabwe’s “pre-colonial heritage.”

The Munhumutapa title was historically used by rulers of the Mutapa Empire, a powerful Shona kingdom that existed between the 14th and 17th centuries.

The government did not state why September 15 was selected for the annual observance.

Mnangagwa hints at staying beyond 2030

The holiday declaration came amid renewed controversy over Mnangagwa’s political future after the president hinted that he could remain in power beyond 2030.

Mnangagwa, who has ruled Zimbabwe since taking office in 2017, said he will “still be around” in nine years, despite his current term being expected to end in 2030.

“I will still be around; I do not know about you,” he was quoted as saying.

His remarks followed a constitutional change that extended the presidential term from five to seven years.

In July, Mnangagwa signed into law a bill extending his current term from 2028 to 2030, despite criticism from opponents and civil society groups.

The president had previously described himself as a constitutionalist and pledged to respect presidential term limits.

Mnangagwa came to power in 2017 after longtime ruler Robert Mugabe was removed from office with military backing. He subsequently won the disputed 2018 and 2023 presidential elections.

He also rejected calls for the constitutional amendment to be subjected to a public referendum, arguing that the changes would promote stability in the southern African country.

The constitutional reforms further altered the way Zimbabwe’s president will be elected.

Under the new system, voters will elect members of Parliament, who will then choose the country’s president, effectively scrapping the existing system of direct presidential elections.