Online Reporter
Joseph Madzimure and Fungai Lupande Zimpapers Writers
MASHONALAND Central is ready to host President Mnangagwa’s 84th birthday celebrations today, with Mvurwi transformed into a hive of activity as thousands prepare to welcome him.
The town was spotless yesterday, roads had been maintained, and at the venue dozens of workers pitched tents as preparations entered the home stretch. Water bowsers, toilets and other facilities were in place.
Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Christopher Magomo said the province was ready to host more than 100 000 people.
“We are happy and grateful to host this important day. We are celebrating the President’s life and achievements and what he has done to take this nation to higher levels,” he said.
He cited infrastructure development, economic growth and food security as key achievements, noting progress on the Harare-Kanyemba Road, a stable economy, climate-proof agriculture and increased gold production.
Mazowe North MP and national political commissar for Youth Affairs Cde Tsungi Makumbe said final touches were being made, with some people already sleeping at the venue. A gala featuring Alick Macheso and Jah Prayzah will follow the official proceedings.
He said the Munhumutapa celebrations had transformed Mazowe North, with youths set to benefit from residential stands and 20 youth village business units.
National Youth League secretary for administration Cde Tendai Chiwetu said preparations were progressing smoothly, calling on youths across the political divide to attend.
“This is the first big celebration after CAA3 (Constitutional Amendment Act 3). We are expecting foreign delegates and the diplomatic corps,” he said.
Among those eager to meet the President is young innovator Dylan Mukahihwa of Nzvimbo High School, who has developed a climate-smart irrigation centre pivot for smallholder farmers.
“I want to showcase this innovation to the President and get his support because as youths we want to make an impact,” he said.
Zanu-PF Deputy Secretary for Youth Affairs Cde John Paradza said the highlight of the celebrations is the launch of the Munhumutapa Housing Scheme, through which 2 000 youths will receive stands on 59 hectares in Mvurwi, plus 100ha each at Kimcourt in Centenary and Bindura.
“We are very proud of our President, and it is our duty to defend his legacy,” said Cde Paradza.
The scheme, first launched in Masvingo three years ago, has been rolled out in all 10 provinces, with most sites nearly 85 percent complete.
This year’s commemorations are held under the theme: Consolidating Gains, Securing 2030 and Beyond, Building a Prosperous Zimbabwe.
Cde Paradza thanked President Mnangagwa for declaring September 15 a public holiday, calling it evidence of a “listening President.”
He said the day reminds Zimbabweans that the country’s history of governance, trade and civilisation stretches back centuries before colonialism.
Zanu-PF Secretary for Information and Publicity Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa said President Mnangagwa is well placed to draw inspiration from the Munhumutapa Empire’s legacy as a global trading society.
“His slogan, friend to all, enemy to none, resonates with the open trade of the littoral Indian Ocean states before European imperial mercantilism deprived them,” he said.
Cde Mutsvangwa described President Mnangagwa’s life as a virtuous composite of an outstanding Pan-Africanist — a pioneer freedom fighter who survived the hangman’s noose after being captured as a guerrilla cadre in 1964, spent a decade on death row, and returned in 1977 to the armed struggle.
“The current security and intelligence apparatus of Zimbabwe owes to him and his exploits during the war,” said Ambassador Mutsvangwa.
He said President Mnangagwa’s footprint as a statesman spans 46 years of the reborn nation, including the creation of a new state apparatus, the 2000 Land Reform, the quest for shared SADC security, and the fight against Western sanctions.
The Mutapa State, which rose in the 15th century and spread across northern Zimbabwe into Mozambique, Zambia and South Africa, was a formidable power built on the legacy of Great Zimbabwe, thriving on regional and international commerce, particularly gold.
