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Zvamaida Murwira-Senior Reporter

President Mnangagwa yesterday gazetted honours and awards in different categories for various individuals and an organisation, the First Lady’s Angel of Hope Foundation, in recognition of the roles they played before and after independence in transforming lives of people in the country.

The awards, ranging from gold, silver to bronze were made in terms of Honours and Awards Act that empowers the President to confer such awards in his capacity as Grand Master of Order of Merit.

Those that have been earmarked for Order of the Great Zimbabwe in Gold are Zimbabwe’s virologist Dr Sikhulile Moyo for his discovery of the Omicron Covid-19 variant in November 2021.

Another luminary who has been honoured is Dr Mary Mubi who has been conferred with Order of the Star of Zimbabwe in Gold while medical doctor and Covid-19 Response National Coordinator, Dr Agness Mahomva has been conferred with Order of the Star of Zimbabwe in Silver.

Also to get the Jairos Jiri Humanitarian Award in Gold is the Angel of Hope Foundation whose philanthropic work is well documented.

The recipients are expected to get their medals during the Heroes Day commemoration at the National Heroes Acre next week.

There are more than 100 people that have been conferred with Independence Medal in Bronze for their role in the attainment of the independence and their role in post independence Zimbabwe.

Notable people include Zanu PF Chief whip, Cde Pupurai Togarepi, Transport and Infrastructural development Deputy Minister Mike Madiro, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Deputy Minister Lovemore Matuke, Zanu PF Politburo member, Cde Keneth Musanhi and Senator Omega Hungwe.

The conferment comes as President Mnangagwa last week gazetted a warrant creating the new Royal Order of the Munhumutapa in the highest category, which can be awarded to an African foreign national for support rendered to Zimbabwe for her liberation and continued well-being.

The Warrant 1 of 2023 was published in Statutory Instrument 143 of 2023 to create the award in terms of the Honours and Awards Act that empowers the President to create honours and awards.

The decoration signifying the award is the Royal Order of the Munhumutapa Gold Medal, which is an oval medal of enamelled gold, 89mm in diameter and bears on the observe, the imposing bust of King Munhumutapa showing only his right arm clasping a sceptre over his right shoulder and wearing a headband. 

The Warrant goes into full detail of the full description of the medal and has the superscription “Order of Munhumutapa”.

Every medal shall be attached by a breast ribbon 92mm in width consisting of five vertical stripes of equal width coloured, gold on each outer end followed by two red stripes on either side that are separated by a single black stripe. The medal shall be awarded on the authority of the President, following upon the recommendation of the appropriate head of department. 

The head of department can be a person in the employ of the State, the Secretary of the ministry concerned, the Commander of the Army or Air Force, the Commissioner-General of the Police or the Prisons and Correctional Services.

They can also be a person in the employ of a body corporate established directly by any enactment for special purposes, the head of that body corporate or any other person, a minister or deputy minister, a chief or a mayor.