Gwanda
Gwanda | |
|---|---|
Town | |
  Gwanda Location in Zimbabwe | |
| Coordinates: 20°56′20″S 29°01′07″E / 20.93889°S 29.01861°E | |
| Country |  Zimbabwe |
| Province | Matabeleland South |
| Districts of Zimbabwe | Gwanda District |
| Municipality | Municipality of Gwanda |
| Elevation | 1,000 m (3,300 ft) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 57,507 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (CAT) |
| Climate | BSh |
Gwanda is a town in Zimbabwe/Mthwakazi. 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.[1]
Location
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 approximately 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]
Overview
Gwanda was founded in 1900 as a settlement of European gold miners and prospectors. Gwanda is administratively run by the Municipality of Gwanda, whose jurisdiction covers 10 wards across the town.[6] 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.[7]
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.[8]
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.[9]
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 te towns population was at 20,226.[10]
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.[11]
See also
References
- ^ Edward Ndlovu Community Libraries (2019). "Where We Work". Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Edward Ndlovu Community Libraries. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
{{cite web}}:|author=has generic name (help) - ^ Ngoni Chanakira and Michelle Chifamba (23 September 2011). "ZB's Growing Gold Fund" (Archived from the original on 17 June 2012). The Zimbabwean. 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.
External links
- Economic burden of malaria on rural households in Gwanda District, Zimbabwe Published: 28 August 2017.