By 
By Ross Moyo
As Zimbabwe marks the inaugural Munhumutapa Day today this September 15 — declared a national public holiday under Statutory Instrument 148 of 2026 — the nation is not just celebrating history. It is celebrating sovereignty.
Named after the 15th-century Mutapa Empire that stretched across Zimbabwe and Mozambique, Munhumutapa Day coincides with the 84th birthday of President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa and was conceived to honour Zimbabwe’s pre-colonial heritage, contemporary development, and youth empowerment.
In Mvurwi, Mashonaland Central today, tens of thousands of youths are gathered for the national commemorations — from the Munhumutapa Half Marathon to anti-drug abuse programs. The message from Government is clear: We are a nation rooted in heritage, but building for the future.
And according to Nyanga Councilor Ernest Magadzire, that is exactly why “Nyanga must not allow the legacy of our liberation war veterans to be erased.”
LAND IS THE HEART OF MUNHUMUTAPA
Munhumutapa was about land. The liberation struggle was about land. The Land Reform Programme was about land.
For war veterans, land is not just an economic asset. As President Mnangagwa has said, it is the “birth-right of our people” and the “sacred inheritance for which many fought and sacrificed.” On the side lines of the Munhumutapa celebrations, the Nyanga Councilor copied from his Principal that He has been unequivocal: “The Land Reform Programme is irreversible and protected.”
The President has also stated that the Constitution obligates the State to provide security of tenure to citizens, including war veterans, their children and dependants.
Magadzire quoted the President who has stated, “Under my leadership, the welfare of our veterans is inseparable from that of their families.”
That declaration must mean something on the ground in Nyanga.
THE DANGER: CHILDREN AS THE WEAK LINK
More than 20 years after the Fast-Track land Reform Programme, Councilor Magadzire said, “We are seeing attempts to challenge or reclaim land lawfully allocated to legitimate beneficiaries, particularly when the original veteran has passed on.”
When a war veteran is alive, he can defend his allocation. When he dies, his children often lack the institutional knowledge and influence to defend it.
This is the vulnerability we must close. Government’s National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) already provides for benefits for dependants of deceased veterans. War Veterans Secretary General Douglas Mahiya has described the move from offer letters to bankable title deeds as turning this land into “multi-generational wealth.”
That wealth must not be allowed to be grabbed.
Magadzire made Nyanga’s call on Munhumutapa Day.
“On this Munhumutapa Day, I call on Nyanga leadership to:
1. Document all reports of intimidation of families of deceased veterans
2. Verify every claim against official records — offer letters, permits, leases, title deeds
3. Refer competing claims to the Ministry of Lands for lawful determination
4. Protect — no family should be intimidated, no lawful beneficiary unlawfully removed.”
Magadzire added, “This not about black versus white. It is about sovereignty. Any person with a legitimate claim has access to the law. Any person who seeks to dispossess another unlawfully must face the law.”
As we celebrate Munhumutapa in Mvurwi today, let us remember: The Munhumutapa Empire was built on control of its land and resources. Our sovereignty today is built on the same principle.
Nyanga must protect the legacy. The children must be protected.
That sovereignty must be protected.
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