By 
By Ross Moyo
NetOne Cellular (Private) Limited has joined the nation in celebrating His Excellency, the President Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa on the occasion of his 84th birthday today, September 15.
In a congratulatory message published this morning, the Board, Management and Staff of NetOne extended their “heartfelt congratulations and warmest birthday wishes” to the President.
“We honour a patriotic leader whose vision and steadfast leadership continue to drive Zimbabwe’s transformation, development and progress towards a digital 2030,” the statement reads.
The message, branded with NetOne’s “The World in One” tagline and a backdrop of telecom towers, ends with: “May His Excellency be blessed with good health, wisdom, strength and continued success in service to the nation.”
The birthday coincides with the inaugural Munhumutapa Day — declared a public holiday under Statutory Instrument 148 of 2026 — being commemorated nationally in Mvurwi, Mashonaland Central. Munhumutapa Day was created to honour Zimbabwe’s pre-colonial Mutapa Empire heritage while celebrating contemporary development, sovereignty, and youth empowerment.
For NetOne, the timing is strategic. As a state-owned MNO, NetOne is central to the Digital 2030 agenda and NDS2. POTRAZ Q1 2026 shows NetOne now operates 4,878 base stations (2,191 in rural areas — 45.39% of national rural sites), employs 1,085 people, and is rolling out LTE with 35 new sites last quarter alone, despite a dip in subscribers to 4,049,492.
Industry observers say NetOne’s public message underscores its alignment with Government’s vision of universal connectivity — from Mvurwi’s Munhumutapa Half Marathon livestreamed on NetOne, to rural 3G coverage now at 73.80% nationally.
Other corporates, including TelOne, Liquid, and POTRAZ, are expected to publish similar congratulatory messages throughout the day.
Happy Birthday, Your Excellency.
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