Zimbabwe has declared President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s birthday, September 15, an annual public holiday, a move that has triggered criticism over the growing personalisation of the country’s national calendar.
The holiday, officially named Munhumutapa Day, was gazetted through Statutory Instrument 148 of 2026, published on September 9 under the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business Act.
The notice states: “It is hereby declared that the 15th of September every year henceforth, shall be a public holiday to be known as Munhumutapa Day.”
The first observance will fall on September 15, 2026, when Mnangagwa turns 84.
Unlike a declaration made during a public speech, the decision took legal effect through the government’s statutory instrument. The proclamation gives September 15 permanent public holiday status and does not limit the arrangement to Mnangagwa’s current presidency.
The new holiday coincides with Mnangagwa’s birthday, although the government has not publicly provided a separate explanation for selecting September 15. Instead, authorities have attached the day to the historical name Munhumutapa, a title associated with rulers of the Mutapa Empire, a pre-colonial kingdom that covered parts of present-day Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
The use of the historical title has allowed the government and ruling ZANU-PF establishment to frame the holiday as a celebration of Zimbabwe’s pre-colonial heritage.
However, the timing of the holiday has made it difficult to separate the historical symbolism from Mnangagwa’s personal milestone. Zimbabwe already has a public holiday that coincides with the birthday of a former president.
February 21 is observed as Robert Gabriel Mugabe National Youth Day, marking the birthday of the country’s late former leader Robert Mugabe.
The holiday was formally gazetted in 2017.
The birthday holiday comes as Mnangagwa faces renewed scrutiny over his political future. In July 2026, constitutional changes extended the presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years, effectively moving the next presidential election from 2028 to 2030.
Days after the holiday was gazetted, Mnangagwa appeared to fuel speculation about whether he could remain politically active beyond 2030.
Speaking at the Sanganai/Hlanganani Zimbabwe World Tourism Expo in Masvingo, the president referred to the possibility of returning to the event nine years later.
“So when we come back after nine years, having hosted this event in other provinces, you will then give me an update of what you have planned,” Mnangagwa said.
He then added: “I will still be around; I do not know about you.” His remarks drew applause and laughter from the audience.
Opposition politician Nelson Chamisa has strongly criticised the decision, drawing comparisons between Mnangagwa and Mugabe. Chamisa argued that turning a sitting president’s birthday into a national holiday represents an unhealthy concentration of political power.
“Mugabe, this day, his birthday, was a holiday. Mnangagwa, his birthday is a holiday. The next leader, his birthday is a holiday. That’s totally unacceptable. It tells you that something is wrong,” Chamisa said, according to NewZimbabwe.
He also accused leaders of becoming consumed by power.
“It’s all delusions. You know, there’s something that deludes people when they get to that office… People get drunk with power,” Chamisa said.
Chamisa further accused Mnangagwa of wanting to remain in power for life, adding to the political controversy surrounding the new holiday.
Lawyer and constitutional commentator Thabani Mpofu has also warned that the move could have implications beyond the public holiday itself, describing it as a potential step towards a monarchy.
The decision has also prompted comparisons with Mugabe’s presidency, during which the former leader’s birthday became a national day dedicated to young people.
Supporters of Munhumutapa Day, however, can point to the historical significance of the name rather than the president’s birthday itself.
The Mutapa Empire was one of the major pre-colonial states in the region, and the Munhumutapa title has long featured in discussions about Zimbabwe’s pre-colonial history and identity.
Critics argue that using the title for a holiday that falls on the sitting president’s birthday makes the historical justification difficult to separate from political symbolism.
