The Zimbabwean government has announced that President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s birthday, which falls on 15 September, will now be an annual public holiday.
This new holiday was introduced through a regulation called Statutory Instrument 148 of 2026. It officially names 15 September as Munhumutapa Day.
Local news sources reported that an official notice was published on Wednesday.
“His Excellency the President, in terms of section 2(2) of the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business Act [Chapter 10:21], hereby makes the following notice:
“1. This notice may be cited as the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business (Declaration of Public Holiday) Notice, 2026. 2. It is hereby declared that the 15th of September every year henceforth shall be a public holiday to be known as Munhumutapa Day,” the notice stated, according to ZBC News, a Zimbabwean news outlet.
Mr Mnangagwa, who has led the country for nearly 9 years, will celebrate his 84th birthday on the same day his government designated as a holiday. This holiday aims to honor the country’s “pre-colonial heritage.”
The holiday takes its name from the Munhumutapa title held by leaders of the historic Mutapa Empire. This empire was a strong Shona kingdom that existed from the 14th to 17th centuries.
The government did not explain why it picked 15 September for this celebration.
Shortly after this announcement, Mr Mnangagwa hinted that he may stay in power past 2030. He mentioned on Thursday that he will “still be around” in nine years, even though his current term is set to end in about four years.
“I will still be around; I do not know about you,” he was quoted as saying.
Back in July, Mr Mnangagwa signed a bill that extended his term by two years, moving it from 2028 to 2030. This bill also increased presidential terms from five to seven years, facing heavy criticism from the public.
He had previously claimed to be a constitutionalist and promised to respect term limits.
Mr Mnangagwa took over in 2017 after toppling long-time leader Robert Mugabe with military help. He later won elections in 2018 and 2023, though these elections faced disputes.
Mr Mnangagwa ignored calls to send the bill, which changes the Constitution, to a public vote. He insisted this change will bring stability to the southern African nation.
The new law also removed the direct election of the president. Now, instead of voters picking the president directly, they will choose Parliament members who will then select the country’s leader.
Critics worry that this change will strengthen the hold of Mr Mnangagwa’s party, ZANU-PF, which has controlled Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980.
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