Zimbabwe Makes Mnangagwa’s Birthday an Annual Public Holiday
Zimbabwe has declared President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s birthday, September 15, an annual public holiday, naming it Munhumutapa Day.
The new holiday was gazetted through Statutory Instrument 148 of 2026 and takes effect this year. September 15 will now be observed as a public holiday every year.
The government said the day would be known as Munhumutapa Day, drawing its name from the Mutapa Kingdom, a historic state that once covered parts of present-day Zimbabwe and neighbouring countries.
Mnangagwa, who was born on September 15, 1942, has been president since 2017.
The decision has generated controversy, with opposition figures criticising the move as an inappropriate elevation of the president’s birthday to a national holiday. Opposition politician Nelson Chamisa has described the decision as an abuse of power.
Zimbabwe already observes a public holiday commemorating former President Robert Mugabe’s birthday on February 21, known as Robert Gabriel Mugabe National Youth Day.
The new holiday means Zimbabweans will now have an additional annual public holiday on September 15, alongside existing national holidays.
