Zimbabweans prioritise Easter amid Independence Day

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As Zimbabwe marks 45 years of freedom from colonial rule this year, several Zimbabweans are debating whether the national holiday is still worth celebrating.

This year, Independence Day falls on Good Friday, a rare overlap that’s prompting even more reflection. While the nation officially commemorates its break from colonial rule on 18 April each year, many Zimbabweans are quietly asking: what is being celebrated?

Zimbabwe celebrates Independence Day

As the country celebrates Independence Day, President Emmerson Mnangagwa hosted a Children’s Party at Nyamuroro High School in Gokwe North District, Midlands Province. The main commemorations took place on 18 April in the same district.

The 2025 celebrations are running under the theme: “Zim@45: Devolve and Develop Together Towards Vision 2030.”

“This is a day of national pride. Citizens should take part and listen to the President’s message as we mark 45 years of independence and self-determination,” said the Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Permanent Secretaryadded Mr Nyoni, as reported by The Chronicle.

Embracing Easter Holidays

This year, some Zimbabweans are choosing to lean into the spiritual significance of the Easter weekend instead of national celebrations. Churches across the country are celebrating Easter, while national flags hang low.

Social media is also telling, while a few posts mark the country’s 45th birthday, many more are sharing Good Friday messages, Bible verses, and Easter wishes. For them, Easter offers something Independence Day no longer does: hope, healing, and a reason to believe in a better tomorrow.

The former Citizens Coalition for Change leader, Nelson Chamisa, posted on his X: “GO HAPPY, BE BLESSED…Wishing you a blessed Good Friday and a joyful Easter! May the sacrifice and love of Christ bring everlasting hope and happiness to you all. Jesus Christ is Lord and Saviour…”

Here is how others reacted on social media:

@mlobiwazo20: “These days, I’d rather just focus on Easter because it brings more peace and meaning.”

@KelvinP46686737: “…at the moment we are going to celebrate Easter holiday and also praying for our country Zimbabwe. As long we are under ZANU PF we don’t celebrate independence, cz we don’t have freedom.”

@IreneTariroWyn: “45 years after independence Zimbabwe has regressed so much that there is nothing to celebrate at least if we are celebrating potholes because now we can take a bath in the middle of the road.”

@nickmangwana: “Marching together, marching forward. Zimbabwe’s Independence Day parade is a celebration of our nation’s freedom, unity, and cultural heritage.”