National Anthem of Zimbabwe
|
National anthem of  | |
| Also known as |
Simudzai Mureza wedu WeZimbabwe (Shona) |
|---|---|
| Lyrics | Solomon Mutswairo, 1994 |
| Music | Fred Changundega, 1994 |
| Adopted | 1994 |
| Audio sample | |
| |
"Simudzai Mureza wedu WeZimbabwe" (English: "Blessed be the Land of Zimbabwe", lit. "Lift High Zimbabwe's Banner"; Northern Ndebele: Kalibusiswe Ilizwe leZimbabwe) is the national anthem of Zimbabwe.
History
It was introduced in March 1994 after a nationwide competition to replace the South African-derived "Ishe Komborera Africa" with a distinctly Zimbabwean song. The winning entry was a Shona song written by Professor Solomon Mutswairo and composed by Fred Changundega.
It has been translated into English and Ndebele, the two other main languages of Zimbabwe.
The Ndebele version is mainly sung in the Matebeleland regions of Zimbabwe, while the English version is not commonly sung. Some schools in Matabeleland South have introduced the Sotho/Tswana version.