'Drunk with power,' Chamisa slams Mnangagwa's birthday holiday, 2035 power bid
Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa has criticized Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa for declaring his birthday a public holiday and suggesting he may remain in power until 2035. Chamisa labeled these moves as self-serving and questioned the legitimacy of the current administration.
Why it matters
The consolidation of power and the creation of personality-driven holidays raise concerns about democratic norms and political stability in Zimbabwe.
OPPOSITION politician Nelson Chamisa has slammed President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s decision to declare his birthday a public holiday, alongside his apparent intention to remain in power beyond 2030, describing the developments as self-serving.
On Wednesday, Mnangagwa declared September 15, his birthday, an annual public holiday to be known as Munhumutapa Day through Statutory Instrument 148 of 2026 under the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business Act. The holiday is named after the 15th- to 18th-century empire royal title.
Mnangagwa has also hinted that he could remain in office until 2035, during remarks at the Sanganai/Hlanganani Zimbabwe World Tourism Expo in Masvingo.
Asked by NewZimbabwe.com for his views on the developments, shortly after signing the book of condolences for the late European Union envoy H.E. Katrin Hagemann, Chamisa said such initiatives were a “pipe dream with very short legs.”
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