President Emmerson Mnangagwa led the 2026 National Youth Day commemorations at Igava Training Centre in Marondera, where a myriad of youths gathered under the theme Youth Agenda for Transformation.
On the surface, the event reflected vibrancy, colour and youthful energy. Yet beneath the spectacle lies a growing concern: is the day slowly drifting away from its original purpose?
National Youth Day, officially known as Robert Gabriel Mugabe National Youth Day, was set aside to honour the late former president Robert Gabriel Mugabe.
The holiday is observed annually on February 21, marking his birthday and recognising his role in the liberation struggle and his long-standing emphasis on youth empowerment and education.
For years, the Zanu PF youth league commemorated Mugabe’s birthday through the February 21st Movement, established in 1986.
It was this youth arm that lobbied for the day to be declared a national holiday, arguing that Mugabe’s contribution to youth development and national liberation deserved permanent recognition.
The holiday was formalised on November 27, 2017 — three days after Mnangagwa was sworn in — through a statutory instrument under the Public Holidays and Prohibition of Business Act.
However, as the years pass, the substance of the day appears increasingly diluted. The emphasis has shifted toward contemporary political messaging and broad development themes, with less deliberate reflection on Mugabe’s liberation legacy and his ideological framing of youth as custodians of the revolution.
While themes such as Youth Agenda for Transformation are forward-looking, they risk overshadowing the historical foundation upon which the holiday was built.
More troubling is that yesterday’s commemorations were also used to amplify support for the controversial Amendment Number 3, with placards prominently rallying behind Mnangagwa’s push for a term extension.
This overt political messaging sits uneasily with the very liberation philosophy the day was meant to honour.
Mugabe’s struggle was anchored on the principle of universal suffrage — one man, one vote — a rejection of minority rule and exclusionary governance.
To associate his commemorative day with proposals perceived to concentrate power, or to privilege select voices in determining presidential tenure, risks distorting the ethos of that struggle.
A national holiday rooted in historical recognition cannot afford selective memory. If the day is to retain credibility, it must consistently and unapologetically honour Mugabe’s liberation credentials and his philosophy on democratic participation and youth empowerment — whether or not contemporary politics finds that legacy convenient.
National Youth Day should not merely be a platform for policy pronouncements or political campaigns. It must remain anchored in its founding purpose: recognising Mugabe’s role in shaping Zimbabwe’s liberation and affirming the principle that sovereignty rests with the people.