Zimbabwe’s new leadership has authorized a decision to designate former President Robert Mugabe’s Feb. 21 birthday a public holiday.
The decision was published in a government notice on Friday, the day of the inauguration of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was fired by Mugabe as vice president on Nov. 6 but returned to Zimbabwe after a military takeover.
Most Zimbabweans were delighted when Mugabe resigned Nov. 21 after nearly four decades in power. While acknowledging past mistakes during Mugabe’s rule, Mnangagwa described the former leader as a mentor and ruling party officials have continued to praise Mugabe’s earlier role in the country’s evolution.
The campaign to make 93-year-old Mugabe’s birthday a national holiday began during his rule. In August, the government announced the designation after months of lobbying by members of the ruling party’s youth league.
The leadership of Zimbabwe’s Catholic church is urging the new government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa to work toward economic recovery and electoral reforms ahead of a national vote in 2018.
The Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference said that economic recovery is necessary for peace and stability in the country following the Nov. 21 resignation of former President Robert Mugabe. It said it will work with Zimbabwe’s government “for the removal of all forms of sanctions that have been imposed on the country.”
The Catholic leaders say electoral reforms will restore confidence and that “the realization of free and fair elections in 2018 will make the outcome more acceptable internally and externally.”
Some past elections under Mugabe were marred by allegations of vote-rigging and deadly violence.
The new president, Mnangagwa, has not yet formally appointed his Cabinet.
