By 
By Ross Moyo
Zimbabwe is today commemorating its newest national public holiday — Munhumutapa Day — after Government gazetted Statutory Instrument 148 of 2026, declaring September 15 a permanent holiday on the national calendar.
The day, which coincides with the 84th birthday of President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, is named after the pre-colonial Mutapa Empire that flourished in the 15th century across modern-day Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
According to Government, the holiday will honour Zimbabwe’s pre-colonial heritage alongside contemporary national development, sovereignty and youth empowerment.
The main national commemorations are being held in Mvurwi, Mashonaland Central, where tens of thousands of youths have converged. Activities include youth programs addressing substance abuse, community development projects, and the inaugural Munhumutapa Half Marathon.
Officials say the declaration under SI 148 of 2026 is part of a broader push to digitize and institutionalize national heritage — moving from oral history to gazetted, protected national memory.
Munhumutapa Day is now official. And it is here to stay.
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