President Emmerson Mnangagwa has signed into law Statutory Instrument 148 of 2026, declaring 15 September as Munhumutapa Day. The date is the President’s birthday, and the new public holiday has been framed by the government as a celebration of the pre-colonial Mutapa Empire’s heritage.

The announcement has drawn sharp reactions from Zimbabweans at home and abroad. The Zimbabwe Vigil in London, which has protested against human rights abuses for over two decades, used its latest gathering to condemn the holiday as an attempt to entrench personality cult politics. Activists questioned the timing and symbolism, noting that the naming links a living leader to a revered historical kingdom.

Social justice advocate Tendai Ruben Mbofana wrote that such self-honouring rarely outlasts the leader who decrees it, citing examples from history where monuments and holidays tied to sitting rulers were dismantled after their departure. He argued that genuine national honours are usually conferred posthumously by a grateful nation, not through executive decree during a leader’s tenure.

Meanwhile, at the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo, President Mnangagwa reportedly drew laughter after suggesting he could remain in office beyond 2035. The remarks, although made in jest, have added fuel to ongoing debates about term extensions and the political trajectory of the country.

The new holiday will be observed for the first time on Monday, 15 September 2026. Government departments, schools and businesses are expected to close, though some civil society groups have called for the day to be used for reflection on democratic accountability rather than presidential veneration.

Critics argue that declaring a public holiday on a sitting president’s birthday undermines the separation between state and individual, and risks eroding the historical significance of the Mutapa Empire by associating it with contemporary politics. Supporters of the move, however, see it as a celebration of African heritage and national pride.