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Gwanda
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Key Information
Gwanda is a town in Zimbabwe. It is the capital of the province of Matabeleland South, one of the ten administrative provinces in the country. It is also the district capital of Gwanda District, one of the seven administrative districts in the province.
History
[edit]The white settlers in zhawunda erroneously called zhawunda, Gwanda. Zhawundamano asimano linodla was the full name of the area. A group of Kalangas clans of Balilima, Nyubi, Mwenye of Mberengwa, were traveling together and passed at a place where they found a skull of an elephant and they said, Nsholowezhou, meaning the skull of an elephant. White settlers butchered the name and called it Tjolotjolo. They went on and reached another area where they said it is mbisingwe, meaning the zebras, they saw and leopards that were hauling the whole night got similar stripes and it is here, where these Kalangas tribes split. the Nyubi went to Mberengwa and zhawunda settled in the present day, Gwanda
Location
[edit]The town is located 134 kilometres (83 mi), by road, south east of the city of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second largest city.[2] This location lies on the Bulawayo–Beitbridge Road and the Beitbridge Bulawayo Railway. The town of Beitbridge, at Zimbabwe's border with the Republic of South Africa, lies 197 kilometres (122 mi), further southeast on Highway A-6.[3] The coordinates of Gwanda, Zimbabwe are: 20°56'20.0"S, 29°01'07.0"E (Latitude:-20.938889; Longitude:29.018611).[4] Gwanda sits at an average elevation of 3,300 feet (1,006 m) above mean sea level.[5] Gwanda is known to have long, hot summers, and short, cool winters. Gwanda is also quite dry as compared to the rest of the country, and is therefore prone to drought.[6]
Overview
[edit]Gwanda was founded in 1900 as a settlement of European gold miners and prospectors. Its name derives from that of a nearby hill known as Jahunda. It is located on the Bulawayo-Beitbridge road and the railway that runs south to West Nicholson. The town is the a centre for Matebeleland South’s cattle ranching industry and also trades in agricultural produce. There are gold, asbestos, and chrome mines in the vicinity, and game reserves nearby. Stone Age implements have been found in the Gwalingemba Hills, which are located 32 miles (52 km) south of Gwanda.
Gwanda is administratively run by the Municipality of Gwanda, whose jurisdiction covers 10 wards across the town.[7] Gwanda is the location of the District headquarters of Gwanda District. It is also home to the Matabeleland South provincial offices of various government departments, which are mainly located at the government complex along 3rd Avenue, between Queen Street and Khartoum Street.[8]
The town has a provincial hospital, Gwanda Provincial Hospital, which serves as a referral centre for nearby smaller mission and district hospitals. Services provided include emergency medicine, paediatrics, maternity, eye surgery, minor orthopaedic surgery, general surgery and an expanded immunisation program. The town is the chief centre for south-western Zimbabwe's cattle district and also trades in agricultural produce. There are asbestos, chromium and gold mines around Gwanda.[9]
The main stadium is called Phelandaba Stadium. It was home to the former Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League team, Njube Sundowns. Currently there is Gwanda Pirates FC whichbis affectionately known as Ezimnyama ngenkani which plqys in the ZIFA Central Region Division 1. Financial services are provided by commercial banks, including CBZ Bank Limited, Post Office Savings Bank, AgriBank Zimbabwe and ZB Bank Limited.[10]
Population
[edit]According to the 1982 Population Census, the town had a population of 4,874. The town chiefs refused to acknowledge the results of the 1992 census as they felt they had been undercounted. Officially, that disputed figure was 10,565. In 2012, the national population census enumerated the towns population was at 20,226.[11] Most residents of Gwanda are ethnically Ndebele, and isiNdebele and English are the languages most commonly spoken. There are also Shona and Sotho people in Gwanda.
Notable people
[edit]The former president of Zambia, Rupiah Banda, was born in this town, in a place called Miko. Professor Thomas Tlou of the University of Botswana, former Botswana Ambassador to the U.N., was born in Gwanda. He was also co-author with Alec Campbell of History of Botswana.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ Citypopulation.de Population of cities & urban localities in Zimbabwe
- ^ "Road Distance From Bulawayo To Gwanda" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
- ^ "Road Distance From Gwanda, Zimbabwe To Beitbridge, Zimbabwe" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
- ^ "Location of Gwanda, Zimbabwe" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
- ^ Wolfram Alpha (17 July 2020). "Elevation of Gwanda, Zimbabwe". Wolframalpha.com. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
- ^ "Average Weather in Gwanda, Zimbabwe, Year Round - Weather Spark". weatherspark.com. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
- ^ Municipality of Gwanda (17 July 2020). "The official website of the Municipality of Gwanda". Gwanda, Zimbabwe: Municipality of Gwanda. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
- ^ "Location of The Government Complex, Gwanda, Zimbabwe" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
- ^ The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica (2020). "Overview of Gwanda At Britannica.com". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
- ^ Ngoni Chanakira and Michelle Chifamba (23 September 2011). "ZB's Growing Gold Fund". The Zimbabwean. Archived from the original (Archived from the original on 17 June 2012) on 17 June 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
- ^ Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe (8 June 2020). "Municipality of Gwanda: Demographic Highlights". Harare: Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
- ^ Tlou, Thomas; Campbell, Alec (1984). History of Botswana. Gaborone, Botswana: Macmillan. ISBN 9789991278087. OCLC 1142866814.
External links
[edit]- Economic burden of malaria on rural households in Gwanda District, Zimbabwe Published: 28 August 2017.
Gwanda
View on GrokipediaGeography
Location and Topography
Gwanda is situated in the Matabeleland South Province of Zimbabwe, at geographic coordinates 20°56'20"S 29°01'07"E, with an average elevation of approximately 1,000 meters above sea level.[9] This positioning places the town on a relatively flat plateau typical of the region's highveld, contributing to its role as a central point in southern Zimbabwe's landscape. The town lies 126 km southeast of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second-largest city, directly along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road and the parallel railway line that connects to South Africa.[10] As the provincial capital, Gwanda serves as an administrative hub for Matabeleland South, encompassing 10 municipal wards that manage local governance and urban planning within the town's boundaries.[11] Topographically, Gwanda is located near Jahunda Hill, a prominent local feature from which the town derives its name.[12] The surrounding area features a semi-arid savanna landscape characterized by open grasslands interspersed with rocky outcrops and scattered acacia trees, with the Gwalingemba Hills approximately 52 km to the south and the Gwanda Hills providing nearby elevated terrain that influences local drainage and visibility.[13]Climate and Natural Environment
Gwanda experiences a hot semi-arid climate classified as BSh under the Köppen system, marked by distinct seasonal variations in temperature and precipitation. Summers from November to March are hot, with average high temperatures reaching 31°C and lows around 19-20°C, while winters from June to August are mild, featuring highs of 21-26°C and lows dipping to about 10°C. The annual average temperature stands at 20.2°C.[14][15] Precipitation averages 479 mm annually, concentrated almost entirely in the summer wet season between November and March, when monthly totals can exceed 70 mm in peak months like December and January; the dry winter months receive less than 5 mm each. This pattern places Gwanda in Zimbabwe's Natural Region V, the country's most arid agro-ecological zone, making the area highly susceptible to droughts characterized by erratic rainfall, prolonged dry spells, and increasing temperatures over recent decades. The region has been particularly affected by the severe El Niño-induced drought during the 2024-2025 rainy season, exacerbating water scarcity and agricultural challenges.[14][16][17] The surrounding natural environment consists of subtropical thorn woodland, which supports a variety of wildlife including antelopes, birds, and occasional larger mammals, with habitats extending into nearby game reserves such as the Thuli Safari Area. Limited arable land due to the semi-arid conditions is primarily suited for ranching, while water resources like the Mtshabezi Dam, with a capacity of 11.4 million cubic meters, provide essential support for irrigation and recreational activities. Conservation initiatives benefit from the region's proximity to Matobo National Park, approximately 100 km north, which protects diverse ecosystems and species like rhinos and elephants through managed wildlife areas.[18][19][20][21]History
Pre-Colonial and Early Settlement
The region around Gwanda exhibits evidence of early human habitation dating back to the Stone Age, with hunter-gatherer rock art sites in the Jahunda communal area south of the town showcasing prehistoric engravings and paintings typical of forager communities. These artworks, featuring animals like giraffes and kudus alongside human figures, reflect interactions between early inhabitants and their environment, indicating occupation thousands of years ago.[22] The Kalanga people, a Bantu ethnic group, were among the primary indigenous inhabitants of the area, having settled the Zimbabwean plateau by approximately 900 AD with archaeological evidence from associated stone ruins and settlements. Their territory extended into southwestern Matabeleland, including areas south of Gwanda, where they established communities linked to earlier cultures like the Leopard's Kopje tradition before facing subjugation by incoming groups such as the Ndebele in the 19th century.[23] By the 19th century, the Gwanda area fell under the influence of the Ndebele kingdom in Matabeleland, established by Mzilikazi after his migration from Zululand in the 1830s and 1840s. The Ndebele society was hierarchical and militaristic, with cattle herding serving as a cornerstone of their economy and social structure; large communal herds, known as inkomo zebutho or inkomo zenkosi, were central to wealth accumulation, bridewealth exchanges, and status differentiation. Subsistence farming, including cultivation of grains like sorghum and millet, complemented pastoralism, though raiding for livestock often supplemented local resources in the semi-arid landscape.[24][25] Archaeologically, the Jahunda hills hold significant value as repositories of early human artifacts, including the rock paintings that provide insights into Stone Age forager lifestyles, tool use, and environmental adaptations in southern Zimbabwe. These sites underscore the long continuum of human activity in the Gwanda region prior to more recent Bantu expansions.[22]Colonial Founding and Development
Gwanda was founded in 1900 as a settlement amid the mineral exploration efforts in Matabeleland South, initially serving as a base for European prospectors drawn to the region's gold deposits. The town's name derives from the nearby Jahunda Hill, a local landmark known to indigenous communities as 'Jahunda'. Under the administration of the British South Africa Company (BSAC), which held territorial rights in Southern Rhodesia from 1889 to 1923, Gwanda's early governance focused on facilitating mining activities while establishing basic settler infrastructure.[26][27][28] The settlement rapidly evolved from scattered mining camps into a structured town during the early 1900s, driven by the gold mining boom that attracted investors and laborers to the area. The BSAC prioritized mineral extraction, enacting policies like the 1895 Mines and Minerals Ordinance that granted miners extensive rights to land and resources, often leading to conflicts with emerging agricultural settlers in Gwanda. This period saw the establishment of trading posts that supported the local economy by exchanging goods for cattle and agricultural produce from surrounding farms, bolstering the mining operations with essential supplies.[29][30] A pivotal development was the construction of the Bulawayo-Gwanda railway line, completed and operational by 1903, which connected the town to Bulawayo and extended toward Beitbridge, enhancing access to markets and reducing transport costs for gold ore and provisions. This infrastructure, built primarily to serve the mining sector, spurred further growth by enabling the export of minerals and the import of machinery, while also facilitating cattle trading along the route. By the 1910s, Gwanda had solidified as a key mining hub under colonial rule, with its economy revolving around gold production and ancillary activities like livestock commerce.[31]Post-Independence Era
Following Zimbabwe's independence on April 18, 1980, Gwanda transitioned from colonial administration to serving as the administrative center for the newly restructured Matabeleland South Province, a role solidified during the provincial reorganizations of the early 1980s that aimed to decentralize governance and promote regional development.[32] This shift positioned Gwanda as a key hub for Ndebele-speaking communities, facilitating local administration and service delivery amid the broader national efforts to integrate former Rhodesian structures into the post-independence framework.[33] The 1980s brought significant political turmoil to the region, particularly through the Gukurahundi disturbances from 1983 to 1987, during which the Fifth Brigade of the Zimbabwe National Army targeted perceived dissidents in Matabeleland, resulting in widespread violence against Ndebele communities, including those in and around Gwanda.[34] These events, which claimed thousands of lives and displaced many residents, deepened ethnic tensions and social divisions in the province, leaving lasting scars on community cohesion and trust in central governance.[35] By the late 1980s, the Unity Accord of 1987 helped mitigate immediate conflict, but the disturbances' legacy continued to influence local politics and social dynamics in Gwanda. In 2024-2025, the government initiated public hearings under the Gukurahundi Community Engagement Processes, involving traditional leaders and community panels in Matabeleland, including Gwanda areas, to document experiences and foster reconciliation, with thousands participating as of September 2025.[36] The early 2000s exacerbated economic hardships in Gwanda, as Zimbabwe's hyperinflation crisis—peaking in 2008—and the fast-track land reform program disrupted agricultural stability and commercial activities across Matabeleland South.[37] These policies, intended to redistribute land from white commercial farmers to black Zimbabweans, led to reduced productivity and food shortages that hit rural and semi-urban areas like Gwanda particularly hard, straining livelihoods dependent on farming and trade.[38] Administrative progress marked the 1990s with the establishment of the Gwanda Town Council in 1991 through an Act of Parliament, later evolving into the Gwanda Municipality, which governs 10 wards and oversees urban planning and services.[32] Post-2010, the town has seen gradual urban expansion, including infrastructure improvements and population growth that has influenced demographic shifts toward more diverse settlement patterns.[32] Economic recovery efforts, supported by stabilization measures after the introduction of the multicurrency system in 2009, have aided resilience, though recurrent droughts—such as the severe El Niño-induced events in 2015–2016 and 2023–2024—have prompted community-led adaptations like water harvesting and diversified income sources to mitigate climate vulnerabilities.[39][40][41]Demographics
Population Trends
The population of Gwanda has shown consistent growth over the decades, reflecting broader urbanization patterns in Zimbabwe's Matabeleland South Province. According to official census data compiled by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat), the urban population of Gwanda was recorded as 4,874 in 1982. This figure more than doubled to 10,565 by the 1992 census, though local leaders disputed the results, claiming an undercount due to methodological issues in enumeration. Subsequent censuses confirmed the upward trajectory, with 13,363 residents in 2002, 20,227 in 2012, and 27,143 in 2022 (of which 12,773 were male and 14,370 female).[42][3]| Census Year | Population | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 4,874 | ZimStat via City Population[42] |
| 1992 | 10,565 (disputed) | ZimStat via City Population[42] |
| 2002 | 13,363 | ZimStat via City Population[43] |
| 2012 | 20,227 | ZimStat via City Population[43] |
| 2022 | 27,143 | ZimStat[3] |