Harare Zimbabwe Temple Wiki

Quick Facts

Quick Facts

ANNOUNCED
3 April 2016

ANNOUNCED BY
President Thomas S. Monson

GROUNDBREAKING
12 December 2020

GROUNDBREAKING PRESIDED BY
Elder Edward Dube

DEDICATED
1 March 2026

DEDICATED BY
Elder Gerrit W. Gong


DEDICATION ORDER
214

LOCATION
65 Enterprise Road
Highlands
Harare
Zimbabwe

PHONE
(#) #

Description

Church membership is growing steadily in Zimbabwe where there are 26,000 members organized into six stakes and two districts—three of those six stakes being headquartered in Harare. Prior to the temple announcement, Zimbabwe was the country with the second highest number of Church members without a temple (Nicaragua having the highest). Members desiring to participate in temple worship currently drive 13 hours to reach the Johannesburg South Africa Temple. Other nearby African nations will also benefit from the temple including Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

History

Elder James E. Faust of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles dedicated Zimbabwe for the preaching of the gospel in 1991. The first stake in the southern African nation, the Harare Zimbabwe Stake, was organized in 1999, with Edward Dube, who currently serves on the Presidency of the Seventy, as stake president.

Since 1985, members of the Church in Zimbabwe have traveled to the Johannesburg South Africa Temple to participate in temple worship, a journey of about 24 hours by bus.

Announcement

Announcement

Church President Thomas S. Monson announced the Harare Zimbabwe Temple on 3 April 2016, at the Sunday morning session of the 186th Annual General Conference. The Temple was one of four announced. The other temples will be built in Quito, Ecuador; Belém, Brazil; and a second temple in Lima, Peru.[1]Monson, By President Thomas S. Choices. 2 Apr. 2016, www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2016/04/choices?lang=eng.

[INSERT] Temples at Time of Announcement

Announced

Under Construction

Dedicated

ANNOUNCED ORDER175

Date2016 04 03
ByThomas S. Monson
RolePresident
Viasource

⮜Preceded by Quito Ecuador
Followed by Belém Brazil

Announced 2016 04 03

Location Announcement

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Render Released

Render Released

On October 1, 2020, an official exterior rendering of the Harare Zimbabwe Temple was released to the public, featuring a 17,250-square-foot temple with a spire rising over the main entrance. Church facilities will stand on either side of the temple.

OFFICIAL RENDER

Groundbreaking Announced

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Groundbreaking

The groundbreaking of the Harare Zimbabwe Temple was presided over by Elder Edward Dube, first counselor in the Africa South Area presidency and a Zimbabwe native, on Dec. 12, 2020. His Excellency Emmerson Mnangagwa, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, was also in attendance and spoke to the congregation.

In his remarks to those in attendance, Elder Dube said, “The Harare Zimbabwe Temple will be a beautiful and stunning building. Like every temple, it will stand not only as a manifestation of the faith of Latter-day Saints who live close by in this country and the neighboring countries of Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique, but also a manifestation of the faith of Saints all around the world.”[2]”Groundbreaking Held for the Zimbabwe Harare Temple,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 12 Dec. 2020.

GROUNDBREAKING ORDER
202

Date2020 12 12
ByEdward Dube
RoleSeventy
Attendees##

⮜Preceded by Okinawa Japan
Followed by Mendoza Argentina

Dedication announced

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced on 18 August 2025 the open house and dedication dates for the Harare Zimbabwe Temple.

A media day will be held for the Harare Zimbabwe Temple on Monday, January 19, 2026. Invited guests will tour the temple Tuesday, January 20, and Wednesday, January 21, 2026, and a public open house will be held from Thursday, January 22, through Saturday, February 7, 2026, excluding Sundays.

Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will dedicate the temple on Sunday, March 1, 2026. The dedicatory session will be broadcast to all congregations in the Harare Zimbabwe Temple district.[3]”Open House and Dedication Dates Announced for the Harare Zimbabwe Temple,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 18 Aug. 2025.

Open House

Over 27,770 people toured the house of the Lord during the open house, which ran from January 22 through February 7, 2026.[4]“Elder Gerrit W. Gong Dedicates the Harare Zimbabwe Temple.” news-africa.churchofjesuschrist.org, 1 Mar. 2026, news-africa.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/elder-gerrit-w–gong-dedicates-the-harare-zimbabwe-temple.

OPEN HOUSE

Start Date2026 01 22
End Date2026 02 07
Days15
Attendees27,770
Per day av.1,851

Dedication

The Harare Zimbabwe Temple was dedicated March 1, 2026, by Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Joining the Elder Gong for the dedication weekend was his wife, Sister Susan Gong, as well as two General Authority Seventies and their wives — Elder Steven R. Bangerter, executive director of the Temple Department, and his wife, Sister Susan Bangerter; and Elder Denelson Silva, first counselor in the Church’s Africa South Area presidency, and his wife, Sister Regina Silva.

With the coming of the house of the Lord in Harare and other new temples around the globe, the Lord is inviting Latter-day Saints to create “a new gospel temple culture,” said Elder Gong, mindful especially of those who previously had to travel long distances to worship in the temple. “Instead of going to the temple once in our life, or once a year on a temple trip, we can plan and come ourselves to the Lord in the house of the Lord more often,” he said.[5]Taylor, Scott. “Elder Gong Dedicates First House of the Lord in Zimbabwe.” Church News, 2 Mar. 2026, www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2026/03/01/harare-zimbabwe-temple-dedication-elder-gerrit-w-gong.

DEDICATION ORDER
214

Date2026 03 01
ByGerrit W. Gong
RoleApostle
Sessions1
Attendees#

⮜Preceded by Alabang Philippines
Followed by Davao Philippines

Dedicatory Prayer

Construction Duration

SpanDuration
Announced
to
Groundbreaking
4 y,
8 m,
9 d
Groundbreaking
to
Dedication
5 y,
2 m,
20 d
Announced
to
Dedication
9 y,
10 m,
28 d

Dedicatory Order

GLOBAL

214

REGION
AFRICA
9

COUNTRY
ZIMBABWE
1

STATE

COUNTY

CITY
HARARE
1

Summary

Text for Summary tab

Detail

Groundbreaking Announced

Announced

Under Renovation

*Open House announced, rededication not scheduled

Dedicatory Order

Presidents and Matrons

Temple PresidentTemple MatronYears Served
Dunstan George Bernard Tiwayi ChadambukaPertunia Mudarikwa Chadambuka2026–

Details

Location

The temple will be built on a 6.7-acre site in the Highlands area of Harare.

The Harare Zimbabwe Temple will be constructed on the site of the stake center for the Harare Zimbabwe Stake on Enterprise Road in the Highlands neighborhood of Harare. President Russell M. Nelson toured the site while visiting Harare on April 17, 2018, as part of his world ministry.

Site

LOCATION

Address
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Elevation

FeetMeters
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Site

AcresHectares
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Exterior

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Cladding

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Water Course

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Windows

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Spandrel panel

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EXTERIOR

Exterior Finish
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Architectural Features
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Specifications

FeetMeters
Height##
Width##
Length##
Footprint#2#2
Heading##

Symbolism

Inscription

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HOLINESS TO THE LORD
THE HOUSE OF THE LORD

INSCRIPTION DETAILS

Order#
Location#
Language#
Type#
Color#
Setting:#
Font#
Glyph#
Church Name#
Temple Name#
Dates#
Cornerstone

#

ERECTED
####

CORNERSTONE DETAILS

Location
Faces
Material
Set
Edge
Type
Finish
Language

Spires and Finial

Spires

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SPIRE

Spires#
Location#
Finish#
Typedome, steeple, tower, spire
shape#
Tower shape
Finial

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FINIAL

Material#
Placed#
Finish#
Height#
Weight#

Interior

Interior

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Entry

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GENERAL INTERIOR

Area32,240 f2
(2,995.19 m2)
Floors above grade
Floors below Grade
Baptistries
Initiatories
Endowment Rooms
Sealing Rooms
Baptistry

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BAPTISTRY

Baptistries:
Location:
Exterior Windows:
Artwork:
Artwork Type:
Oxen:
Type:
Hoof:
Color:
Layout:
Font Exterior:
Interior:
Shape:
Bowl Shape:
Pillar:
Stairs:
Font Well:
Initiatory Spaces

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INITIATORY

Styledetached, attached, combined
Typestationary, progressive
Rooms#
*Estimated
Instruction Rooms

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Creation Room

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Garden Room

text-images

World Room

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Terrestrial Room

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INSTRUCTION ROOM

Rooms#
Type#
Capacity#
Muralsy/n
Total Muraled Rooms#
Mural Type
*Estimated
Celestial Room

text-images

Sealing Room

text-images

SEALING ROOM

Sealing Rooms
Largest Capacity

Contractors

Architect

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Projects by

Project Manager

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General Contractor

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Projects by

Other Contractor

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Projects by

Region

Angola1Luanda
Cabo Verde1Praia
DRC4Kananga · Kinshasa · Lubumbashi · Mbuji-Mayi
Ghana3Accra · Cape Coast · Kumasi
Ivory Coast1Abidjan
Kenya1Nairobi
Liberia1Monrovia
Madagascar1Antananarivo
Mozambique1Beira · Maputo
Nigeria7Aba · Abuja · Benin City · Calabar · Eket · Lagos · Uyo
ROC1Brazzaville
Sierra Leone1Freetown
South Africa3Cape Town · Durban · Johannesburg
Uganda1Kampala
United Arab Emirates1Dubai
Zimbabwe1Harare

References

References
1 Monson, By President Thomas S. Choices. 2 Apr. 2016, www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2016/04/choices?lang=eng.
2 ”Groundbreaking Held for the Zimbabwe Harare Temple,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 12 Dec. 2020.
3 ”Open House and Dedication Dates Announced for the Harare Zimbabwe Temple,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, 18 Aug. 2025.
4 “Elder Gerrit W. Gong Dedicates the Harare Zimbabwe Temple.” news-africa.churchofjesuschrist.org, 1 Mar. 2026, news-africa.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/elder-gerrit-w–gong-dedicates-the-harare-zimbabwe-temple.
5 Taylor, Scott. “Elder Gong Dedicates First House of the Lord in Zimbabwe.” Church News, 2 Mar. 2026, www.thechurchnews.com/temples/2026/03/01/harare-zimbabwe-temple-dedication-elder-gerrit-w-gong.

Last updated on: 15 May 2026