Zanu PF has once again come under fire for allegedly coercing villagers, schoolchildren, and civil servants to attend the so-called Munhumutapa Day commemorations, being held today in Zvishavane. The event, which coincides with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s disputed 83rd birthday, has been widely criticised as another attempt to entrench a personality cult around the Zanu PF leader.
Party insiders told this publication that local leaders in Zvishavane and surrounding rural districts were given strict instructions to ensure thousands of people were mobilised for the gathering. Buses were reportedly deployed to ferry villagers into the asbestos ghost town to fill up the venue and create the impression of mass popularity.
A faction within the ruling party aligned with the ED2030 agenda has openly declared that it hopes to mobilise at least 30,000 attendees. Their broader ambition, sources say, is to push for Munhumutapa Day to be formally recognised as a national holiday in honour of Mnangagwa.
Defending the commemorations, Information Minister Jenfan Muswere painted a glowing picture of Mnangagwa’s legacy.
“We are celebrating the life of a statesman, a visionary, a man of the people who has dedicated his life to the freedom and prosperity of the people of Zimbabwe,” Muswere said.
He added that the event was not about politics but about recognising leadership and patriotism.
Yet critics argue that the commemorations, taking place in a town long abandoned by investors and residents after the collapse of the asbestos industry, symbolise more about Zanu PF’s political priorities than about genuine cultural celebration.
Zanu PF Accused of Forcing Villagers to Attend Mnangagwa Birthday Commemorations
Opposition figures and civil society activists have dismissed Munhumutapa Day as a thinly veiled campaign strategy. They argue that the ruling party is using state resources and coercion to inflate Mnangagwa’s popularity at a time when the president faces increasing pressure over Zimbabwe’s economic decline.
Doubts also remain over the president’s true age, with longstanding allegations that his birth records were tampered with decades ago to fit political calculations. Critics say the uncertainty underscores the manufactured nature of the celebrations.
“Zanu PF is once again weaponising culture and history to advance partisan politics,” one political analyst said. “The insistence on mass attendance reflects more desperation than genuine public enthusiasm.”
The accusations of forced attendance are not new. Since independence in 1980, Zanu PF has repeatedly relied on coercion, intimidation, and manipulation to project an image of mass support.
In the early 1980s, villagers across Matabeleland and the Midlands were compelled to attend state and party functions under the shadow of the army and intelligence services. The Gukurahundi massacres entrenched a climate of fear, leaving rural communities little choice but to comply.
During the 2000s, particularly under the fast-track land reform programme, war veterans, youth militia, and traditional leaders were used to herd villagers into rallies. Absence was often interpreted as disloyalty, with those who stayed away labelled as opposition sympathisers.
The 2008 presidential runoff elections marked perhaps the most notorious example. Villagers were trucked to Zanu PF rallies, forced to chant slogans, and subjected to “political re-education” sessions under the watch of ruling party militia.
Even in the more recent 2013, 2018, and 2023 elections, reports persisted of chiefs and headmen threatening villagers with the withdrawal of food aid, agricultural inputs, or access to state programmes if they refused to attend Mnangagwa’s rallies.
International observers, including both the European Union (EU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), have repeatedly flagged these practices as serious violations of democratic norms.
Analysts believe that today’s commemorations are not only about honouring Mnangagwa but also about the ongoing succession battles within Zanu PF.
The ED2030 faction is pushing for constitutional amendments that would extend Mnangagwa’s rule beyond the current 2028 deadline. Their argument rests on portraying him as indispensable to the party and the nation.
But this agenda is strongly resisted by a rival faction loyal to Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is widely seen as positioning himself for the presidency once Mnangagwa’s second term ends.
“The mobilisation in Zvishavane is less about cultural pride and more about signalling strength in the succession struggle,” one ruling party source observed.
For many observers, today’s Munhumutapa Day in Zvishavane reflects Zanu PF’s enduring reliance on stage-managed shows of support. By bussing in villagers, schoolchildren, and public servants, the ruling party projects an image of unity while suppressing genuine political expression.
In the broader scheme, the commemorations reveal the high stakes of Zimbabwe’s political landscape, where Mnangagwa’s loyalists seek to prolong his rule and his rivals push for transition.
Whether declared a national holiday or not, Munhumutapa Day underscores how deeply the ruling party continues to blend state, history, and politics — often at the expense of ordinary citizens compelled to play along.
Source- ZimEye
