The Dzimbabwe Institute of Heritage and Culture (DIHC) has approached the government for support to launch what it says would be Zimbabwe’s first national awards programme dedicated exclusively to recognising excellence in cultural and heritage preservation.
The Harare-based private voluntary organisation has written to Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture Minister Abselem Nhamo Sanyatwe seeking a formal partnership ahead of the proposed Munhumutapa Heritage Awards, scheduled for September 2026.
In a letter signed by board secretary Cathrine Noreen Makarange and copied to the ministry’s permanent secretary, the institute requested an audience with the minister to present the awards framework and discuss possible ministerial endorsement.
Organisers said the awards, named after the pre-colonial Munhumutapa Empire, would honour at least 24 individuals, communities and institutions each year for outstanding contributions to cultural preservation, traditional arts, indigenous knowledge systems and intangible heritage.
“There remains a critical lack of mainstream, high-profile platforms dedicated exclusively to validating and celebrating those who keep this heritage alive. The Munhumutapa Heritage Awards fill this void,” the organisation said in a statement.
Planning documents indicate the initiative is being operationalised under a company identified as Gold Star and will feature nine categories covering performing arts, culinary heritage, indigenous languages, visual arts, traditional fashion, film and storytelling, sacred site conservation and indigenous agricultural innovation.
A lifetime achievement accolade, the Munhumutapa Eternal Flame, will also be presented, including posthumous recognition for individuals deemed to have made enduring contributions to Zimbabwe’s cultural identity.
Organisers said they aim to reach an audience of more than two million people through a nationwide media campaign involving radio broadcasts, digital storytelling and social media engagement running from June until the September gala.
The awards ceremony, themed “The Rise of Munhumutapa: Celebrating the Architecture of Our Identity”, will feature a “Royal Regal/Premium Traditional Wear” dress code.
The initiative is also designed to attract corporate sponsorship, with prospective partners offered branding opportunities, broadcast mentions, participation in trophy presentations alongside dignitaries and inclusion in post-event documentary productions.
The Ministry of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture had not publicly responded to the request by the time of publication. It remains unclear whether the government will endorse or co-fund the programme, or whether the awards will proceed as a privately financed initiative.
Zimbabwe has several state heritage institutions, including the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe, but there has been no government-backed annual awards platform devoted solely to recognising achievements in culture and heritage preservation.
DIHC said it was also developing complementary projects, including an ancestral DNA tracing programme, community heritage documentation hubs, oral history revival initiatives and youth cultural mentorship schemes.
