Harare Zimbabwe Temple
Latest News
News Stories
Photo: Harare Zimbabwe South Saints Facebook page
Nighttime View of the Harare Zimbabwe Temple
Architectural lighting illuminates the beautiful Harare Zimbabwe Temple, which has been under construction for the past 52 months and is drawing closer to completion. In the book of Romans, Paul exhorted: "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light" (Romans 13:12). The temple grounds have been planted, and the parking lots have been striped.
Photo: Reeve Nield
First President and Matron of the Harare Zimbabwe Temple Called
Dunstan George Bernard Tiwayi Chadambuka and Pertunia Mudarikwa Chadambuka of the Mutare Zimbabwe Stake have been called as the first president and matron of the Harare Zimbabwe Temple. President Chadambuka is a bishopric counselor and temple worker and a former Area Seventy, mission president, district president, and branch president. Sister Chadambuka is a ward Primary president and temple worker and former mission president companion, district Relief Society president, branch Relief Society president, and branch Young Women president.
Photo: Edgar Gramu
Gates Installed at Harare Zimbabwe Temple Property Entrance
At the property entrance to the Harare Zimbabwe Temple, beautiful ornamented gates have been installed. Several buildings were constructed at the complex including the temple, a patron housing facility, a temple missionary housing facility, a meetinghouse, and a Church services building where the mission office will be located. It is the first temple to be built in Zimbabwe.
Photo: Cornelia and Reeve
Beautiful Grounds Established at the Harare Zimbabwe Temple
Statuesque palm trees sway in the wind on the grounds of the Harare Zimbabwe Temple where verdant vegetation, stone benches, and sleek lamp posts surround the paver stone walkways that lead to the temple. A monument sign has been installed on the red brick fence surrounding the complex, and the parking lots have been striped. Striking stained-glass windows have been glazed in the temple's doors and window openings.
Photo: Rofelix Media
Grass Added to the Harare Zimbabwe Temple Grounds
The Harare Zimbabwe Temple grounds have been beautified with addition of rich green grass that contrasts beautifully with the temple's light-colored brick exterior. Construction of the temple and its supporting facilities began almost 4 years ago and is drawing closer to completion. It is the first temple to be constructed in the country where members are currently organized into eleven stakes and two districts.
Photo: Draper YSA Gathering Place
Collecting Temple Clothing for the Saints of Zimbabwe
Members of the Draper YSA Stake have been collecting temple and missionary clothing to donate to the Saints of Zimbabwe who, in the coming months, will have a dedicated house of the Lord in their country. Plans for the Harare Zimbabwe Temple were announced at the April 2016 general conference, and the groundbreaking ceremony was held in December 2020. The temple is now in the final stages of construction.
Photo: Donnell Nigel
Lamp Posts Installed on the Harare Zimbabwe Temple Grounds
Lamp posts have been installed next to the royal palm trees that flank either side of the garden strip in front of the Harare Zimbabwe Temple. The new fixtures flood the area with light, providing visibility and safety for patrons. The white pickets that once spanned the brick fence posts around the property have been replaced with black picket panels with four-sided spear-head finials.
Photo: Donnell
Exterior Lighting of the Harare Zimbabwe Temple
The architectural floodlighting system for the Harare Zimbabwe Temple was tested for the first time this week. The carefully placed and directed light fixtures illuminate the temple's brick exterior and dramatic steeple. Church members in Zimbabwe are organized into ten stakes and one district. They currently participate in temple ordinance work at the Johannesburg South Africa Temple.
Photo: Google
A Beautiful Temple Complex in Harare's Golden Triangle
Located in Harare's northern suburbs, known as the Golden Triangle, the Harare Zimbabwe Temple complex is a beautiful sight from above. Satellite imagery taken earlier this month shows the five major buildings on the property and the landscaping that is being established around them. In addition to the temple, there is a mission office, a meetinghouse, and housing facilities.
Photo: Rofelix Media
Happy Saints of Zimbabwe Look Forward to a Temple in Harare
A group of happy saints stand in front of the Harare Zimbabwe Temple holding the Church publication from October 2010 entitled Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It explains the importance, purpose, and history of the Church's temples. The temple in Harare is the first to be constructed in the country of Zimbabwe. The area between the housing buildings is currently being landscaped.
Photo: Nyasha Shepard Ushewokunze
Palm Trees Planted on the Harare Zimbabwe Temple Grounds
The approach to the Harare Zimbabwe Temple has been greatly beautified by the addition of royal palm trees that have been planted and braced in the garden area between the two housing buildings. Brick is being laid around the body of the steeple. The stake center for the Harare Zimbabwe Stake was razed and additional property was acquired to make way for the new temple complex, located on Enterprise Road in the Highlands neighborhood of Harare.
Photo: Sechrest Africa South Area Mission
Beautiful Brickwork of the Harare Zimbabwe Temple
A recent photograph of the Harare Zimbabwe Temple shows the beautiful brickwork that has been installed on the exterior surfaces of the temple and the landscape walls. The cream-colored blocks were laid in a running bond pattern with a soldier course along the top beneath the ornamental coping stones. The lighter color of the temple stands apart from the surrounding buildings, distinguishing it as a house of the Lord.
Photo: Zimbabwe Harare Mission
Three-Year Anniversary of the Harare Zimbabwe Temple Groundbreaking
New missionaries arriving in the Zimbabwe Harare Mission last month posed in front of the Harare Zimbabwe Temple, which is anticipated to be completed during their two-year missionary service. A groundbreaking was held for the temple three years ago in December 2020 where His Excellency Emmerson Mnangagwa, president of the Republic of Zimbabwe, praised the Church, saying, "The contribution of the Church to national development and social well being of the citizenry cannot be overemphasized."
Bricklaying Progress on the Harare Zimbabwe Temple Exterior
At the Harare Zimbabwe Temple site, bricklayers have laid a light-colored brick in a running bond pattern along the exterior walls of the temple. The inset window openings feature wide borders and headers. Stained glass will be installed later. Brick and roof work has largely been completed for the other buildings in the temple complex. Construction on the project began 32 months ago.
Photo: Google
Landscaping Begins on the Harare Zimbabwe Temple Grounds
An updated satellite view of the Harare Zimbabwe Temple grounds shows the first signs of landscaping taking place on the property. Behind the temple, an embankment has been cut for retaining structures that will be used to create a gathering plaza. A cut line is also visible north of the meetinghouse for a parking area. Arrow-shaped excavations between the housing buildings will be used for concrete benches seen in the rendering.
Photo: Takunda Amos Zenda
Missionary Couple Arrives to Oversee the Harare Zimbabwe Temple
A new missionary couple from Cache Valley in Northern Utah arrived in Harare this month to oversee the construction of the Harare Zimbabwe Temple to completion. Elder and Sister Anderson are thrilled to be serving the Saints of Zimbabwe, preparing them for the day when they will become temple workers and patrons. The major structural components for the temple are in place, and more detailed work is underway.
Photo: Langton Chidarara
Steeple Frame Added to the Harare Zimbabwe Temple
A white frame for the spire of the Harare Zimbabwe Temple has been installed on top of the concrete steeple body frame. The spire will be white and capped with a slender metal finial. A meetinghouse is being constructed east of the temple. Shingles have been laid for the south wing, and wood trusses have been set for the north wing. The temple is the country's first, and it has been under construction for nearly two years.
Photo: Langton Chidarara
Structural Work Continues on the Harare Zimbabwe Temple
The eastern surfaces of the concrete structural frame for the Harare Zimbabwe Temple catch the rising sun as another construction day begins at the temple complex. Roof work is making progress on the matching ancillary buildings south of the temple. The roof frame is in place on the eastern building, and shingles have been laid on the western building. A pre-existing fence encloses the construction site.
Photo: Nigel Ndlovu
Concrete Frame Rising for the Harare Zimbabwe Temple
The concrete frame for the Harare Zimbabwe Temple continues to rise. Columns can been seen for the raised center section that will run from the entry to the back wall. And concrete walls are being poured for the protruding entry that will support a windowed steeple. A pitched roof frame is being installed on one of the ancillary buildings south of the temple.
Photo: Google
Superstructure Rising for the Harare Zimbabwe Temple
A recent satellite view of the Harare Zimbabwe Temple site shows that the walls and roof are in place for the east half of the temple. Progress is also evident on the accompanying buildings. The outline of interior rooms is visible for the meetinghouse and ancillary building while roof work for the housing facilities is not far off. Harare is the largest and capital city of Zimbabwe with a population of over two million people.
Photo: Google
Walls Erected for the Harare Zimbabwe Temple Housing Buildings
A satellite image taken last month of the Harare Zimbabwe Temple site shows the walls that have been erected for the two housing and services facilities located just south of the temple. Both the exterior and interior walls are in place, giving an idea of the floor plans for the buildings. Work is also advancing on the 17,250-square-foot temple and meetinghouse.
Photo: Google
Setting Rebar for the Harare Zimbabwe Temple Foundations
A tent has been erected at the southwest corner of the Harare Zimbabwe Temple where crews are setting forms and rebar for the concrete that will support the baptismal font. Footing and rebar work is active across the site as preparations are made for major concrete pours including the floor slabs for the multiple buildings under construction. Members in Zimbabwe currently participate in temple ordinance work at the Johannesburg South Africa Temple.
Photo: Paton Taylor Architects
An Aerial Perspective on the Harare Zimbabwe Temple Site
An aerial photograph of the Harare Zimbabwe Temple site was captured this month, showing the placement of the buildings that will be constructed in the complex. The former stake center and mission office were removed several months ago, and it appears that a replacement meetinghouse will be constructed on the east side of the property. The west side will be for the temple (northwest) and two ancillary buildings (southwest).
Photo: Langton Chidarara
Trenching the Harare Zimbabwe Temple Site
Trenches are appearing across the Harare Zimbabwe Temple site as crews install conduits, connect to public utilities, and begin forming and pouring footings for the building foundations. The spring weather in Zimbabwe has produced beautiful purple blossoms on the Jacaranda trees that surround the property. The temple is one of four under construction in Africa. The others are the Praia Cape Verde Temple, Abidjan Ivory Coast Temple, and Nairobi Kenya Temple.
Photo: Paton Taylor Architects
Stake Center and Mission Office Razed at the Harare Zimbabwe Temple Site
The final structures at the Harare Zimbabwe Temple site have come down including the stake center, which was demolished in June, and the mission office, which started coming down in July. Preliminary concept renderings showed that these two buildings would remain, but it appears that the decision was made to replace them with new facilities that would be built at the same time as the temple and other supporting buildings.
Photo: Google
Dirt Mound Forms at the Harare Zimbabwe Temple Site
A barrel-shaped mound has formed on the northern end of the site for the Harare Zimbabwe Temple. Ground was formally broken in December, and site work began about three months later. The property was cleared of vegetation by the end of April, and grading began in May. The land around the existing meetinghouse has also been cleared including removal of the parking lot and landscaping. The 17,250-square-foot temple will be constructed in the area of the mound alongside two supporting Church facility buildings.
Photo: Ministry of Information Publicity & Broadcasting Services of Zimbabwe
Groundbreaking Event Held for the Harare Zimbabwe Temple
Elder Edward Dube, a native of Zimbabwe and first counselor in the Africa South Area presidency, presided at the groundbreaking for the Harare Zimbabwe Temple on Saturday, December 12, 2020. His Excellency Emmerson Mnangagwa, president of the Republic of Zimbabwe, was also in attendance. President Mnangagwa praised the Church in his remarks, saying, "The contribution of the Church to national development and social well being of the citizenry cannot be overemphasized." In his site dedicatory prayer, Elder Dube said, "As we watch the rising of this building from the ground up, may we also turn our hearts upward to Thee and Thy Son, our Savior Jesus Christ." The single-level, 17,250-square-foot temple will be built on a 6.7-acre site in the Highlands area of Harare.
Photo: Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
December Groundbreaking Announced for the Harare Zimbabwe Temple
Ground will be broken for the Harare Zimbabwe Temple, the first in the country, in December 2020. Presiding at the event will be Elder Edward Dube of the presidency of the Africa South Area. The single-level, 17,250-square-foot temple will be built on a 6.7-acre site next to an existing meetinghouse located at 65 Enterprise Road in the Highlands neighborhood of Zimbabwe. During a visit to Zimbabwe in 2018, President Russell M. Nelson said: "You deserve a temple here in Harare because that’s where we get the highest of all the blessings that God can give to His faithful children. I want to be here to see that happen."