By Lenon Itai Rwizi

The Zimbabwean Government has announced the addition of a new Public Holiday, the
Munhumutapa Day, which is set to be celebrated on the 15 th of September 2025. This remarkable
announcement has been made in terms of section 2(1) of the Public Holidays and Prohibition of
Business Act [Chapter 10:21] through General Notice 954 of 2024.

It should be borne that in terms of section 2(2) the schedule of public holidays does not include any
days which the President may declare to be public holidays in terms of the same Act. This means at
any point the President has the privilege to declare a public holiday at any given time during the
course of 2025.

Members of the public are therefore advised to take observe the 2025 list of public holidays. This is
because Section 3(3) of the same law provides that it shall not be lawful to transact or conduct any
business in contravention of any of the provision in the Act. It further provides that any person who
transacts or conducts any business; or opens any institution or premises; in contravention of the
notice shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level five or to imprisonment for
a period not exceeding six months or to both such fine and such imprisonment.
What’s your take on the new public holiday?