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George Maponga

Masvingo Bureau

MORE than 30 000 youths from across Zimbabwe are expected to gather at the iconic Great Zimbabwe Monument in Masvingo on Sunday where President Mnangagwa will officially launch the inaugural Munhumutapa Day.

This event commemorates the nation’s journey towards becoming an upper-middle-income society by 2030, anchored on the President’s vision of building the country “brick-upon-brick” using locally-available resources.

Great Zimbabwe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, provides a fitting backdrop for this momentous occasion, as Zimbabwe’s young people come together to celebrate their nation’s progress and prospects.

Going forward, Munhumutapa Day will be celebrated on September 15 every year with the country’s 10 provinces taking turns to host festivities that will be held on President Mnangagwa’s birthday.

The President will turn 82 on Sunday when Munhumutapa Day will be officially launched.

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 awe-striking 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.

The Zanu PF National Youth League, which is organising the inaugural Munhumutapa Day celebrations, wants President Mnangagwa to be honoured for embodying the Munhumutapa spirit by pivoting Zimbabwe towards prosperity, drawing inspiration from the great Munhumutapa.

This is evidenced by the use of locally-available resources to leapfrog socio-economic development under the mantra, “Nyika Inovakwa Nevene Vayo.’’

Zanu PF National Youth League Deputy Secretary in the Politburo, Cde John Paradza, yesterday said it was all systems go for the Munhumutapa Day launch that will be graced by President Mnangagwa, who is also the Zanu PF First Secretary and chairperson of SADC.

He said a record number of youths, from all corners of Zimbabwe, were expected to converge at the Great Zimbabwe monument for the historic day.

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“We are expecting over 30 000 youths to come to the Great Zimbabwe monument on Sunday, where President Mnangagwa will officially launch the Munhumutapa Day which will be celebrated every year, on a rotational basis, by provinces. This day, September 15 is also President Mnangagwa’s birthday, so we will also be celebrating his birthday and at the same time taking the opportunity to celebrate the President’s assumption of the SADC chairmanship position,’’ said Cde Paradza.

“The choice of the venue for the Munhumutapa Day launch is inspired by the fact that the Great Zimbabwe monument is an enduring symbol of the resilience and sophistication of the Zimbabwean people who used locally-available resources to construct a towering city that has been inspirational generation-after-generation and that is also exactly what our President is doing.

“The President is building Zimbabwe brick-upon-brick on the journey to Vision 2030, leaving no one and no place behind.’’

He said September 15 will be aptly celebrated as Munhumutapa Day because President Mnangagwa was using the same script to shepherd Zimbabwe to greatness and lofty heights, the same way done by the great Munhumutapa ruler who built Great Zimbabwe.

‘’President Mnangagwa’s philosophy of building Zimbabwe ‘’brick upon brick,’’ and  another one ,’’Nyika Inovakwa Nevene Vayo’’, were inspired by the Munhumutapa,” said Cde Paradza.

“The President has been

repeatedly exhorting Zimbabweans to build their country using locally available resources, and so we have seen it fit to celebrate his works on a day that will be known as Munhumutapa Day.’’

He said President Mnangagwa’s work was there for all to see with many signature projects, especially in the sphere of infrastructure, having already positioned Zimbabwe’s march to become an upper middle-income society by 2030.

Among the signature projects are roads, dams, innovation hubs at universities, village business units that are spurring rural industrialisation, and other game-changing projects in sectors such as mining, agriculture, and tourism.

According to Cde Paradza, the Munhumutapa Day celebrations on Sunday will start with President Mnangagwa officially launching the Munhumutapa Youth National Housing Project.

The President will launch the scheme at Victoria Ranch Extension in Masvingo City where around 1000 housing stands are being serviced in a programme that is being spearheaded by Government through the Ministries of Local Government and Public Works and National Housing and Social Amenities.

‘’The Munhumutapa Youth National Housing Project will benefit youths from all corners of Zimbabwe, and unlike other projects, this one will see youths getting fully serviced stands not just pieces of un-serviced land. Government and its partners will first service the stands to make sure there are good roads, sewers and water reticulation before allocation to beneficiaries,’’ said Cde Paradza.