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Shurugwi
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Shurugwi
Shurugwi, originally known as Selukwe, is a small town and administrative centre in Midlands Province, southern Zimbabwe, located about 350 km (220 mi) south of Harare, with a population of 22,900 according to the 2022 census. The town was established in 1899 on the Selukwe Goldfield, which itself was discovered in the early 1890s, not long after the annexation of Rhodesia by the Pioneer Column.
The town lies in well wooded, hilly and picturesque country at an altitude of about 1,440 metres (4,720 ft) and is well watered having a typical annual rainfall of 89 centimetres (35 in). On a clear day, it is quite possible to see the hills around Masvingo and Great Zimbabwe, with the latter being over 145 km (90 mi) away.
Selukwe was established in 1899 by the British South Africa Company and Willoughby's Consolidated Company. Its name was derived from the local Ndebele chief Selukwe Dlodlo, the brother of Somabhulane Dlodlo of Somabhula and Nalatale Dlodlo of the Great Dlodlo and Nalatale Ruins.
The district remains an important centre for gold, chrome and platinum mining, but it is perhaps best known as the home district of Ian Douglas Smith, a former Prime Minister of Rhodesia, who owned the 4,000-acre Gwenoro Farm near Gwenoro Dam.
The town is the terminus of a branch rail line from Gweru (formerly Gwelo), 32 km (20 mi) to the north. Shurugwi is one of Zimbabwe's largest producers of chrome; other metals also are mined there. Its healthful climate and scenic location attract tourists and retired people. The largest employers are ZIMASCO, Unki mine (a subsidiary of Anglo-American through its platinum wing, Angloplats), the government (through education), agriculture and health care.
Most farmers are peasant farmers who grow maize and other high grain-producing crops. Animal husbandry is also practised to some extent.
The town is located on a mineral-rich Archaean greenstone belt, known in this area as the Selukwe Schist Belt, making it one of the most mineral-rich towns in the country. Chromite, gold and nickel are all mined around Shurugwi. The town is also located on one of the most beautiful places in Zimbabwe, Wolfshall Pass, commonly known as Boterekwa due to the winding of the road as it negotiates its way up and between mountains. This is very similar to the pass close to Louis Trichardt in South Africa since both were constructed by an Italian firm, the only difference being that there are tunnels in Louis Trichardt. It has been the scene of many road accidents, with most of them fatal. The most notable of these accidents occurred in 1966, when a bus load of students from Chrome Secondary School overturned; only three teachers survived the crash.
Most of the infrastructure in Shurugwi is very old. There was only one hotel in the town center – the Grand Hotel, which used to operate as a bar before it was turned into a shop for building materials and motor spare parts. Slowly, the town of Shurugwi is being transformed to suit all kinds of business activities, contrary to its past as a gold trade center. The population have doubled as compared to the last decade. Apart from mining, it is now growing into an agriculture sector.
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Shurugwi
Shurugwi, originally known as Selukwe, is a small town and administrative centre in Midlands Province, southern Zimbabwe, located about 350 km (220 mi) south of Harare, with a population of 22,900 according to the 2022 census. The town was established in 1899 on the Selukwe Goldfield, which itself was discovered in the early 1890s, not long after the annexation of Rhodesia by the Pioneer Column.
The town lies in well wooded, hilly and picturesque country at an altitude of about 1,440 metres (4,720 ft) and is well watered having a typical annual rainfall of 89 centimetres (35 in). On a clear day, it is quite possible to see the hills around Masvingo and Great Zimbabwe, with the latter being over 145 km (90 mi) away.
Selukwe was established in 1899 by the British South Africa Company and Willoughby's Consolidated Company. Its name was derived from the local Ndebele chief Selukwe Dlodlo, the brother of Somabhulane Dlodlo of Somabhula and Nalatale Dlodlo of the Great Dlodlo and Nalatale Ruins.
The district remains an important centre for gold, chrome and platinum mining, but it is perhaps best known as the home district of Ian Douglas Smith, a former Prime Minister of Rhodesia, who owned the 4,000-acre Gwenoro Farm near Gwenoro Dam.
The town is the terminus of a branch rail line from Gweru (formerly Gwelo), 32 km (20 mi) to the north. Shurugwi is one of Zimbabwe's largest producers of chrome; other metals also are mined there. Its healthful climate and scenic location attract tourists and retired people. The largest employers are ZIMASCO, Unki mine (a subsidiary of Anglo-American through its platinum wing, Angloplats), the government (through education), agriculture and health care.
Most farmers are peasant farmers who grow maize and other high grain-producing crops. Animal husbandry is also practised to some extent.
The town is located on a mineral-rich Archaean greenstone belt, known in this area as the Selukwe Schist Belt, making it one of the most mineral-rich towns in the country. Chromite, gold and nickel are all mined around Shurugwi. The town is also located on one of the most beautiful places in Zimbabwe, Wolfshall Pass, commonly known as Boterekwa due to the winding of the road as it negotiates its way up and between mountains. This is very similar to the pass close to Louis Trichardt in South Africa since both were constructed by an Italian firm, the only difference being that there are tunnels in Louis Trichardt. It has been the scene of many road accidents, with most of them fatal. The most notable of these accidents occurred in 1966, when a bus load of students from Chrome Secondary School overturned; only three teachers survived the crash.
Most of the infrastructure in Shurugwi is very old. There was only one hotel in the town center – the Grand Hotel, which used to operate as a bar before it was turned into a shop for building materials and motor spare parts. Slowly, the town of Shurugwi is being transformed to suit all kinds of business activities, contrary to its past as a gold trade center. The population have doubled as compared to the last decade. Apart from mining, it is now growing into an agriculture sector.