Wedza District
Wedza (or Hwedza) is a district in the province of Mashonaland East, Zimbabwe. It is located about 50 kilometres (31 mi) south of Marondera, and 127 kilometres (79 mi) south of Harare. The area was sparsely inhabited by the Mbire people of the Soko Clan as early inhabitants who mined iron in the Hwedza hills during the 9th-12th centuries which means "a place of wealth". A village of Wedza was established in 1910 by Colonial administration. Gold, beryl, nickel and tungsten was mined in the hills around the village but deposits small to make any mining viable.
Etymology
The word Wedza literally translates to "The lighting of the sun", and myth has it that the word is derived from the location of the ancient town, which was found on the other side of a deep forest.
Geography
Hwedza is well connected to other towns by tarred roads. Rusunzwe and Gandamasungo, the famous Wedza mountain range, are some of the most outstanding geographical features in Wedza. Hwedza is between and its boundaries are the Save River on the west and Ruzave (Ruzawi) river on the east. Other rivers include Nyamidzi, Mhare, Nyamhembe and Chineyi. Hwedza is climatically divided into two halves, upper Hwedza from St Barnabas Chisasike to Hwedza center onwards which is cooler and has average to high rainfall; and lower Hwedza which is from Mukamba through Goneso and Zviyambe East and West small scale farming area (formerly known as purchase areas) which experiences warmer to hot temperatures and lower rainfall. Even the crops grown in the two parts differ significantly, cotton and sorghum/millet do better in lower Hwedza, while in upper Hwedza the same crops would not yield much.
Hwedza is also known for mazhanje/mashuku (a wild fruit harvested between late October into early December).
Services and transportation
Wedza is accessible by road from Harare but the roads have depreciated in quality as a result of the 'Land Reform Policy' which saw industry severely distrpted. Bus companies have stopped services the remote parts such as the areas of Chigondo, St Leoba, and Zana Resettlement. However, daily services are run by several minibus operators to the city of Harare and Marondera, usually terminating at Murambinda.
The service centre (growth point) consists of a Spar supermarket, a post office, a filling station, several drinking places and is served by reliable bus services by Chawasarira, Manica, Matemba, Mushandira/Matemai as well as several minibus operators. An airstrip capable of landing small aircraft is also present.
There is a clinic as well as a Hospital at Mt St Marys. Hwedza is also on the national electricity grid. The main crop grown is maize for both subsistence and sale.
Economy
The core business of Wedza was farming with its aligned service industries until disruptions to commercial agriculture and ranching in the area. Often violent, the racist State sponsored 'Land Reform Project' 2000 of Zimbabwe saw white born Zimbabwean farmers being driven off their farms to a fate undetermined that in turn meant vast amounts of locally employed people lost jobs and livelihoods. However retailing had overtaken all else until the government brought in a pricing policy which was introduced with Operation Dzikisai Mutengo in 2007. The policy has rendered the majority of those fledgling businesses bankrupt and those still afloat have been failing to find adequate stocks and the regional economy has never recovered.
Agriculture
Wedza's unique location offers a vast array of agricultural opportunity. Areas along Watershed Road leading into Wedza from Harare were known for tobacco, maize and paprika production during the warm wet season (October to March). The more southerly part of the district encompassing areas of Makarara, Zviyambe and leading into Dorowa were once a bastion of cotton farming and cattle ranching before 2000. The more central part of the district has a history of erratic rain and as such, villages located in this part of the district are often in need of food aid as they often fail to reap meaningful harvests with the unpredictable rainfall patterns.
- Currently tobacco is the most dominating field crop grown, followed by groundnuts which is grown in every homestead especially in Zviyambe area. The tobacco production has expanded significantly in Zviyambe and resettlement areas giving an average output of 1300 kg / ha. The 2013 tobacco selling season has showed that most farmers have improved in terms of output and quality.
Politics
The Second Chimurenga and its aftermath has for years inclined the popular vote from the district towards Robert Mugabe's ZANU PF. However, the socio-economic recession that has been part and parcel of Zimbabwe's fabric has been steadily tilting the people toward's the opposition MDC, as witnessed by Mugabe's defeat in the March 29 Presidential election.
Education
Notable schools from the Wedza area are St Annes Goto (Anglican), Mt St Marys (Catholic), Chemhanza (Methodist) and Hwedza High School (government). Other institutions include Matsine, Chigwedere, Gumbonzvanda, St Margaret's Chigondo, Nhumwa, St Leoba's, Holy Spirit Ruzane, St Anderson Mutiweshiri, Makanda, Barnabas and Rambanapasito name but a few.
Several schools are found within the district:
- Primary Schools
- St Margaret's Chigondo Primary School
- St Matthias Ruswa Primary School
- St Joseph's Primary School
- Gumbonzvanda Primary School
- Chemhanza Primary School
- Mt St Mary's (Rusunzwe) Primary School
- Payarira Primary School
- Mukondwa Primary School
- Rambanapasi Primary School
- Secondary Schools
- Mt St Mary's High School
- Mukondwa econdary School
- St Annes Goto High School
- Chemhanza High School
- Warikandwa High School
Tourism
The location of Imire Game Park within the district makes it a somehow good location for a safari trip. The game park has for years taken part in the Rhinoceros breeding programme. However of late poachers have killed several of the animals including breeding cows.[1]
Famous residents
Several people of prominence in civil society and government have emerged from Wedza.
- Constantine Chiwenga, - ZNA Army General
- George Tawengwa, - Nationalist, Businessman
- Paul Tangi Mhova Mkondo - Nationalist, Businessman
- Tapiwa Kapini - Zimbabwean Footballer
- Aneas Chigwedere,- the historian,
- Sunday Chidzambwa,former Warriors coach Zifa Chairman
- Wellington Nyatanga, - Zifa Chairman
- Rex Mhiripiri, - Sghona Sculpture Gallery Owner & Art Collector
- Eunice Goto - Radio Personality
- Tarzzen Mandizvidza - Journalist
- Asel Gwekwerere - Journalist
- Michael Madanha - Member of Parliament and Businessman
- McNorman Chitongo - Media Practitioner and Social Activist
- Michael Masanga- owner of Zimwaves radio (http://www.zimwavesradio.net) became the first African to make an automatic forex trading robot ( http://www.forex.netbrowse.net). Masanga hails from St Barnabas Ushe but his parents resettled at Chigwedere near the growth point. He also runs Africa's largest search engine http://www.netbrowse.net which offers free e-mail, adwords type advertisement etc.
References
- Macdonald, S. (compiler), 2003. Winter Cricket : The Spirit of Wedza; a collection of biographies, articles, memories and recollections; Harare, Zimbabwe : Conlon Printers ISBN 0-7974-2720-1
Zhou Taisekwa, Field Agronomist
Coordinates: 18°37′S 31°34′E / 18.617°S 31.567°E
| ||||||||||||||