ZimSports4ED Sets To Hold Massive Sporting Activities In Celebrating Munhumutapa Day Together With President Dr Emerson Mnangagwa Birthday
By Desire Tshuma
On 15 September is Munhumutapa Day and also President Emerson Mnangagwa’s birthday. Munhumutapa Day was launched in Great Zimbabwe Monuments in Masvingo on 15 September 2024.
Celebrations will take place across all ten provinces of the country as this is a day when the nation embody the spirit of Munhumutapa and this day also honours the legacy of statehood and the vision of His Excellency, President Dr E.D. Mnangagwa.
“As ZIMSPORTS 4 Economic Development, we chose this day because sport unites people and builds discipline, values that embody the Munhumutapa spirit. By holding the tournament ahead of the 15th of September, we are giving our youth and communities a platform to celebrate His Excellency’s birthday and this national day in a manner that is dynamic and inclusive” explained Mr Gilbert Mponda; Secretary For Strategy and Implementation.
Mr Mponda went further and said as Sport4ED they have two fold fomotivation . “First, to celebrate His Excellency and the Munhumutapa legacy through sport, which brings communities together. secondly, to provide structured opportunities for young people to showcase talent. Sport is a proven pathway for empowerment and a clear alternative to drugs and social ills. This tournament is therefore about both honouring leadership and investing in the future of our youth”
“This year’s edition is a pilot initiative, and Harare was selected because it provides a central and manageable starting point. It allows us to refine the model, test logistics, and build the right structures before scaling up. Our plan is that by next year, Munhumutapa Day sports tournaments will be hosted at national level, with all ten provinces competing fully. So what begins in Harare this September will expand countrywide going forward ” said Mponda
There are many transformative achievements of the Second Republic under His Excellency since 2017 which according to Mr Mponda are to be celebrated, mong them are the Mbudzi Interchange project,
The RGM Airport expansion and construction of the New Parliament Building.
Road construction and rehabilitation programmes across the country, The Manhize Steel Project, The Great Dyke Platinum Mine investment valued at USD 4.2 billion, The Karo Resources Platinum Project in Mhondoro Ngezi worth USD 4 billion ,Dam projects such as Gwayi-Shangani which will transform water supply, The construction of new schools and clinics to strengthen social services.
The Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme, which has trained 1.8 million farmers and revived agriculture and the payment of USD 3.5 billion compensation to former white farmers, and Zimbabwe being ranked third in Africa for budget transparency to mention a few.
“These achievements demonstrate that under the Second Republic, Zimbabwe is on a growth trajectory, and we as ZIMSPORTS for ED are aligning our work to this vision by using sport as a development and empowerment tool”
Mr Mponda concluded by talking about drug and substance abuse he said these are one of the biggest dangers facing our young people today. “My advice is for youths to turn to sport as a positive alternative. Sport builds discipline, focus, and ambition. We have living examples such as Marvelous Nakamba, who has played in South Africa and Europe, as well as other Zimbabwean footballers who have made careers abroad. We also celebrate Kirsty Coventry, an Olympic champion who has put Zimbabwe on the world map. These athletes show that sport is not only recreation but a career pathway that can transform lives. Beyond the field, sport also creates opportunities in coaching, physiotherapy, management, and media. My call is for young people to step away from drugs and instead invest their energy in sport, which offers hope, growth, and real opportunity “Concludes Gilbert Mponda; Secretary For Strategy and Implementation.
The Munhumutapa Day Sports Tournament will take place on Saturday, 13 September 2025, at Prince Edward Grounds in Harare, beginning at 9:00 a.m. The finals and prize presentations will run into the 14th of September, with the official commemoration of Munhumutapa Day on Monday, 15 September 2025. Public is invited to attend in numbers to support their teams, celebrate His Excellency’s birthday, and mark Munhumutapa Day in unity and pride.
