Gwanda

Coordinates: 20°56′20″S 29°01′07″E / 20.93889°S 29.01861°E / -20.93889; 29.01861
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Gwanda
Town
UTC+2 (CAT)
ClimateBSh
Mtshabezi River at Gwanda

Gwanda is a town in

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.[2]

Location

The town is located 134 kilometres (83 mi), by road, south east of the city of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second largest city.

mean sea level.[6] 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.[7]

Overview

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.[8] 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.[9]

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

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.[10]

The main stadium is called Phelandaba Stadium. It was home to the former Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League team, Njube Sundowns. Financial services are provided by commercial banks, including CBZ Bank Limited, Post Office Savings Bank, AgriBank Zimbabwe and ZB Bank Limited.[11]

Population

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.[12] 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

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.[13]

See also

References

  1. ^ Citypopulation.de Population of cities & urban localities in Zimbabwe
  2. ^ Edward Ndlovu Community Libraries (2019). "Where We Work". Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Edward Ndlovu Community Libraries. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  3. ^ Google (17 July 2020). "Road Distance From Bulawayo To Gwanda" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  4. ^ Google (17 July 2020). "Road Distance From Gwanda, Zimbabwe To Beitbridge, Zimbabwe" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  5. ^ Google (17 July 2020). "Location of Gwanda, Zimbabwe" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  6. ^ Wolfram Alpha (17 July 2020). "Elevation of Gwanda, Zimbabwe". Wolframalpha.com. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  7. ^ "Average Weather in Gwanda, Zimbabwe, Year Round - Weather Spark". weatherspark.com. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
  8. ^ Municipality of Gwanda (17 July 2020). "The official website of the Municipality of Gwanda". Gwanda, Zimbabwe: Municipality of Gwanda. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  9. ^ Google (17 July 2020). "Location of The Government Complex, Gwanda, Zimbabwe" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  10. Encyclopaedia Britannica
    . Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe (8 June 2020). "Municipality of Gwanda: Demographic Highlights". Harare: Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  13. .

External links


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