President Emmerson Mnangagwa has commissioned the Munhumutapa Youth Housing Project in Mvurwi, Mashonaland Central Province, marking a significant expansion of the government’s youth empowerment agenda.
The project, unveiled during Zimbabwe’s inaugural Munhumutapa Day national public holiday, will see 2,000 young people allocated residential stands across three sites in the province, totalling 259 hectares.
A NATIONWIDE HOUSING DRIVE
The housing scheme will begin with 300 residential stands for youths in Mashonaland Central before being expanded to other parts of the country. The land allocation includes 59 hectares in Mvurwi, 100 hectares at Kimcourt in Centenary, and another 100 hectares in Bindura.
Minister of Local Government and Public Works Daniel Garwe said the initiative is being replicated across Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces. “We started the project in 2024 in Masvingo, where 400 stands are being serviced for young people. This is the idea of President Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa to ensure that young people have decent accommodation,” he said.
John Paradza of the Zanu-PF Youth League confirmed that the housing initiative, first piloted in Masvingo, has now been rolled out nationwide, with most sites reported to be nearly 85 percent complete.
A HISTORIC PUBLIC HOLIDAY
The commissioning coincided with the first official observance of Munhumutapa Day as a national public holiday. President Mnangagwa declared September 15 a public holiday through Statutory Instrument 148 of 2026, under the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business Act.
The holiday commemorates the pre-colonial Mutapa Empire, whose rulers held the title Munhumutapa and whose influence extended across large parts of present-day Zimbabwe and neighbouring territories. The Mutapa State rose in the 15th Century and was a formidable power built on the legacy of Great Zimbabwe, thriving on regional and international commerce, particularly gold.
Thousands of Zimbabweans converged on Mvurwi for the commemorations, with more than 100,000 people expected to attend the festivities. More than 30,000 youths from across the country were anticipated at the event.
MNANGAGWA: “MAKE CLEAN MONEY”
Addressing tens of thousands of attendees, President Mnangagwa said the housing initiative demonstrated his government’s commitment to widening opportunities for young people.
“The Munhumutapa Housing Scheme is opening opportunities for young people to own homes. I commend the local authorities that are availing land for these projects,” he said. “Similarly, the Presidential Youth Empowerment Fund is enabling young people to establish and grow enterprises, fostering wealth creation and economic inclusion” .
The President urged young Zimbabweans to pursue prosperity through hard work and integrity. “My wish is to see the broad empowerment and prosperity of our people so that we get to a point where the question is no longer, ‘Why does a person have money?’ but, ‘Why does one have no money?’ Make clean money. Mukaita huori, majeri hanakuzara”.
He also challenged the youth to reject drugs, corruption, tribalism and violence, urging them to draw inspiration from the courage, self-determination and ingenuity of the Munhumutapa civilisation.
PRIVATE SECTOR WELCOMES THE INITIATIVE
Zimbuild Chief Executive Officer Dr Tinashe Manzungu said the project demonstrated the contribution private-sector partnerships could make to expanding housing opportunities. “This is an exciting opportunity when the private sector partners with Government in the construction of houses. Allowing young people to service land for young people speaks to the ‘nyika inovakwa nevene vayo’ mantra” .
The Munhumutapa Youth Housing Project is expected to contribute towards easing Zimbabwe’s housing backlog while creating long-term household assets for young beneficiaries .