HARARE — President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s birthday, September 15, has been declared a public holiday under the name “Munhumutapa Day”, effective this year.

The declaration was made through Statutory Instrument 148 of 2026.

The name draws from the royal title associated with the historic Mutapa Empire, which existed from the 15th to the 18th centuries.

The declaration has sparked debate over the growing elevation of Mnangagwa’s presidency within ruling Zanu PF circles.

Munhumutapa Day has been promoted as a Zanu PF initiative, with supporters seeking to link Mnangagwa’s leadership to Zimbabwe’s pre-colonial history and the legacy of the Mutapa Empire.

The move also comes amid controversy over constitutional changes that have extended Mnangagwa’s current term beyond the previously scheduled 2028 elections to 2030.

September 15 had already been celebrated by Zanu PF youths since 2018 in connection with Mnangagwa’s presidency, but the latest declaration gives the date official public-holiday status.

The move is likely to fuel further debate over the increasingly prominent role of Mnangagwa’s birthday and political legacy in the ruling party’s activities.