Matabeleland South Province is scheduled to host the 2026 Independence Day celebrations, with Masvingo Province set to take on the role in 2027.
Speaking during a Cabinet briefing on Tuesday, 20 May, the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Jenfan Muswere, announced that Cabinet had approved the criteria for selecting venues for the Uhuru commemorations.
According to the approved criteria, priority will be given to provinces with the most infrastructure development needs. Said Muswere:
Cabinet approved criteria to determine future hosts for Independence Day Celebrations and Children’s Party events, based on the national Infrastructure Deficit Index.
This prioritises provinces with the greatest infrastructure development needs among those that have not yet hosted the Uhuru celebrations.
The goal is to use these events to drive infrastructure growth in targeted areas. In accordance with the approved criteria, the Independence Day Celebrations and Children’s Party are scheduled to be held in Matabeleland South Province in 2026 and in Masvingo Province in 2027.
In the past, the Independence Day Celebrations and Children’s Party events were consolidated in Harare. Notwithstanding this precedent, the Second Republic’s Devolution Agenda catalysed a transformative shift, decentralising these events and instituting a rotational format across the
ten provinces, commencing in 2021.
Muswere said the 45th Independence Day Celebrations and the 2025 Children’s Party, held in Gokwe North District, Midlands Province, contributed to infrastructure development in the area.
The main celebrations took place at Nembudziya Growth Point, while the Children’s Party was held at Nyamuroro High School. Said Muswere:
Government undertook significant preparatory works for the major event, including the construction of a new 2 000-seater stadium at Nembudziya Open Grounds.
In addition to the stadium, various legacy projects were implemented to improve the lives of people in Midlands Province, and Gokwe North District in particular.
The projects included the construction and rehabilitation of education infrastructure, such as classrooms, hostels, and laboratories as well as upgrades to cultural heritage sites, liberation struggle memorials, and public facilities.
Government also made significant investments in health infrastructure, as follows: refurbishment of the School of Nursing; upgrading of the VVIP ward; and construction of a mortuary.
A total of 20 sites offering telemedicine facilities were established and internet connected at the respective rural health centres and Gokwe North District Hospital.
Furthermore, water and sanitation projects, including the drilling of boreholes and the repair of existing ones were implemented.
The projects also focused on improving infrastructure, including roads, aviation infrastructure, and rural electrification.
Construction of priority roads included among others: the Kadoma-Nembudziya road; the Nembudziya-Gokwe town; the Gokwe-Hovano-Tshoda road; the Sanyati-Nembudziya road; the Kwekwe-Gokwe road and many other feeder roads.
A total of 57 Village Business Units were established and 37 boreholes were repaired, with 12 of them solarised.
These initiatives aimed to improve the quality of life for residents in Gokwe North District, aligning with the Government’s mantra of “leaving no one and no place behind”.
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