President Mnangagwa to Launch Professor Simbi Mubako’s Landmark Memoirs at Heritage Village

By Edward Makuzva

Zimbabwe will on 17 September witness a historic convergence of memory, leadership, and nation-building when President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, presides over the launch of Professor Simbi Veke Mubako’s memoirs, “Zimbabwe at 45: The Struggle for Sovereign Autonomy and Prosperity.”

The high-profile event, to be held at the culturally significant Heritage Village within Liberation City in Harare, is expected to attract senior government officials, diplomats, scholars, liberation stalwarts, and members of the public eager to engage with Zimbabwe’s journey through the lens of one of its most respected statesmen.

A Lifetime of Service

Professor Mubako’s career spans over five decades of legal, diplomatic, and academic service.

A distinguished jurist, he was one of the principal framers of the Lancaster House Constitution that led to Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980.

At independence, he was appointed Minister of Justice in the country’s first Cabinet, serving alongside the man who now leads the nation, President Mnangagwa.

His public service did not stop there.

Over the years, Prof Mubako served Zimbabwe in key capacities, including ambassadorial and advisory roles, while becoming a respected voice on Pan-Africanism, international law, and governance.

Preserving Africa’s MemoryAs Chairperson of the Institute of African Knowledge (INSTAK), the publishers of the memoirs, Prof Mubako has been instrumental in initiatives that centre Africa’s own narratives.

INSTAK is behind some of the continent’s most ambitious memory projects, including the Museum of African Liberation at Liberation City.

The institute also publishes the Book of African Records and Africa Factbook, reference works that document Africa’s achievements and perspectives from within.

Heritage Village, the venue for the launch, symbolises these efforts: it is part of a broader programme to turn Liberation City into a living archive of African liberation movements, thought, and heritage.

Inside the Memoirs

In “Zimbabwe at 45”, Prof Mubako traces Zimbabwe’s journey from colonial rule to independence and beyond, weaving his personal experiences with national and continental struggles.

The memoir deals frankly with some of the country’s most defining and contentious moments, the dissident era, the land question, leadership succession debates, and the programmes of the Second Republic.

“I try to trace all the steps that we went through,” Prof Mubako says.

“From the time of the first Cabinet, to the problems of dissidents, our disputes with the British on the land question, the succession issue, and the successes of the Second Republic, all that is discussed.”

Far from a sanitized account, the memoir delves into low points and ideological tensions, reflecting Prof Mubako’s lifelong commitment to truth-telling and scholarship.

It also highlights how successive generations have carried forward the ideals of sovereign autonomy, self-reliance, and prosperity.

The Significance of the Launch

The timing of the launch at Zimbabwe’s 45th anniversary of independence dovetails with the Second Republic’s emphasis on heritage as a cornerstone of nation-building and development.

By presiding over the event, President Mnangagwa signals the government’s recognition of memory as a living force in shaping national identity and policy.

Observers note that the launch brings full circle the careers of two liberation-era leaders who served together in the first post-independence Cabinet.

It also underscores the enduring relevance of Zimbabwe’s liberation ethos in its ongoing development trajectory.

Access and AvailabilityCopies of “Zimbabwe at 45: The Struggle for Sovereign Autonomy and Prosperity” will be available for purchase at the launch and subsequently through major booksellers across Zimbabwe.

Digital versions will also be accessible online to cater to Zimbabweans in the diaspora and international readers interested in the country’s history and governance.

A Legacy Recorded

The launch of Prof Mubako’s memoirs at Heritage Village is more than a book launch; it is a testament to Zimbabwe’s evolving story, one that blends remembrance with forward-looking aspirations.

For younger generations, it offers an opportunity to learn directly from a figure who shaped, witnessed, and documented the struggles and triumphs of the nation.