Shamva
Encyclopedia
Shamva is a village in the province of Mashonaland Central
, Zimbabwe
. It is located in the Mazowe
valley about 90 km north-east of Harare
. It is an area with fertile soils hence there is high farming activity.According to the 1982 Population Census, the village had a population of 4,617. People have been living in this area before European settlers came in.The village was established in 1895 when gold
was discovered in the area. It was originally known as Abercorn but was changed to avoid confusion with Abercorn
in Zambia
. The name Shamva is derived from Tsamvi a tree common in that region. Early settlers could not pronounce Tsamvi hence changed it to Shamva. In the First Chimurenga
many of the settlers died in an attack on the village. The railway arrived in the town in 1913.It is also where many African people died in fight for the struggle of independence.
A vast majority of the population survives through gold panning. The area is rich in alluvial gold and most of it is found along the Mazowe basin. Gold panning is the greatest threat to the environment in the area. Shamva residents get their water supply from Mazowe river which runs about 5km from Wadzanai Township.
The main schools in the area are Wadzanai Primary School and Wadzanai Secondary School which are run by the Shamva district council. They are both located in Wadzanai Township.
It has a country club which offers a variety of sports including cricket, golf, squash, swimming, putt putt and tennis. In the 1980s and 90s Polo was very popular with the farmers. The polo field was located adjacent to the country club but has since been converted to residential stands.
Cotton
, maize
, tobacco
, soyabeans, tropical fruits are grown in the area. The village has a brewery
, a grain depot and a cotton ginnery. Gold is mined at Shamva Mine (2 km away) and the Madziwa Mine produces gold and nickel
.
Mashonaland Central
Mashonaland Central is a province of Zimbabwe. It has an area of 28,347 km² and a population of approximately 998,265 , representing about 8.5% of the total Zimbabwe population.- Background :Bindura is the capital of the province...
, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
. It is located in the Mazowe
Mazowe
Mazowe is a village in Mashonaland Central province in Zimbabwe....
valley about 90 km north-east of Harare
Harare
Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...
. It is an area with fertile soils hence there is high farming activity.According to the 1982 Population Census, the village had a population of 4,617. People have been living in this area before European settlers came in.The village was established in 1895 when gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
was discovered in the area. It was originally known as Abercorn but was changed to avoid confusion with Abercorn
Abercorn
Abercorn is a village and parish in West Lothian, Scotland. Close to the south coast of the Firth of Forth, the village is around west of South Queensferry.-History:...
in Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
. The name Shamva is derived from Tsamvi a tree common in that region. Early settlers could not pronounce Tsamvi hence changed it to Shamva. In the First Chimurenga
Chimurenga
Chimurenga is a Shona word for 'revolutionary struggle'. The word's modern interpretation has been extended to describe a struggle for human rights, political dignity and social justice, specifically used for the African insurrections against British colonial rule 1896–1897 and the guerrilla war...
many of the settlers died in an attack on the village. The railway arrived in the town in 1913.It is also where many African people died in fight for the struggle of independence.
A vast majority of the population survives through gold panning. The area is rich in alluvial gold and most of it is found along the Mazowe basin. Gold panning is the greatest threat to the environment in the area. Shamva residents get their water supply from Mazowe river which runs about 5km from Wadzanai Township.
The main schools in the area are Wadzanai Primary School and Wadzanai Secondary School which are run by the Shamva district council. They are both located in Wadzanai Township.
It has a country club which offers a variety of sports including cricket, golf, squash, swimming, putt putt and tennis. In the 1980s and 90s Polo was very popular with the farmers. The polo field was located adjacent to the country club but has since been converted to residential stands.
Cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
, soyabeans, tropical fruits are grown in the area. The village has a brewery
Brewery
A brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
, a grain depot and a cotton ginnery. Gold is mined at Shamva Mine (2 km away) and the Madziwa Mine produces gold and nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
.