In January 2025, the Zimbabwean Government announced the addition of a new Public Holiday, Munhumutapa Day, which is to be celebrated on September 15th. The announcement has been made in terms of section 2(1) of the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business Act [Chapter 10:21] through General Notice 954 of 2024.
First announced in 2024, Munhumutapa Day will be celebrated on September 15th every year with the country’s 10 provinces taking turns to host festivities that will be held on President Mnangagwa’s birthday.
This was after the Zanu-PF Youth League decided to honour the President for his visionary leadership, which has pivoted Zimbabwe on the path towards Vision 2030.
Munhumutapa was the title given to an eminent pre-colonial ruler of the Mutapa Empire, the land that now encompasses modern-day Zimbabwe, and was credited for inspiring the building of the imperious and historic Great Zimbabwe monument.
The Great Zimbabwe monument was, at some point, the capital of the Munhumutapa empire.
Munhumutapa, which loosely means the “one who conquers,” is credited for building the Great Zimbabwe monument using the ubiquitous granite rock that was joined without mortar using local expertise.
