Shurugwi
Encyclopedia
Shurugwi, formerly Selukwe, a town and administrative centre in Midlands Province, southern Zimbabwe
, located about 350 km south of Harare
; population 16,138 (Central Statistical Office, Zimbabwe. Census of Population, 1992. Harare: Government Printer). The town was established in 1899 on Selukwe goldfield, which itself was discovered in the early 1890s not long after the annexation of Rhodesia
by the Pioneer Column
.
The district remains an important centre for gold and chrome mining, but is perhaps best known as the home district of the former Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Douglas Smith who owned a farm near Gwenoro Dam.
(formerly Gwelo), 22 miles (35 km) 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.
Most farmers are peasant farmers who grow maize
and other high grain producing crops. Animal husbandry is also practised to some extent.
in Zimbabwe
, 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 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 difference only being there are tunnels in Louis Trichardt. It has been a scene of many road accidents with most of them fatal.The most notable of these accidents occurred in 1976 when a bus load of students from Chrome Secondary School overturned. Only three teachers survived the crash
, one of the oldest schools in the country, a Methodist run mission school which is about 40 km by road on the South towards Zvishavane, very close Guruguru Mountain
, a volcanic solid rock mountain in Shurugwi Rural Areas
, Tongogara High School
, a government operated boarding school 40 km to the East and Hanke Adventist High School, an SDA
run school 10 km on the North of Tongogara. All these schools offer up to Advanced Level ("A-Level") education.
There are also some post-independence (post April 18, 1980) schools with basically poor standards of education with pass rates of below 5% on Ordinary Level
(O-levels) which is due to quality teachers who normally do not want to teach in rural areas. Rusununguko Secondary School
which along the Chivi/Beit Bridge road offers better education though. It is one of the few schools to attain A-Level status in its class.
Shurugwi also has some good rural primary schools such as Vungwi Primary School
, Mpumangayi Secondary School
and Tumba Primary Schools. Most of the graduates leave Shurugwi after primary/secondary education to pursue further education (usually A' Levels) in other towns as far as Harare. A relative minority ultimately end up studying at the University of Zimbabwe
and other post independent universities in Zimbabwe or even at universities abroad.
Resultantly, Shurugwi has produced a considerable number of professionals, notably in the fields of Chartered Accountants, Lawyers, Engineers, Medical Doctors etc. There is no tertiary college of any form in Shurugwi and its surrounding areas, with the nearest Technical college available 35 km away in Gweru
.
Mhangami Primary School is an Anglican church run school. Originally called St Pius, it was renamed to Mhangami in honour of the local Chief Mhangami. The school was established in 1943 and offers up to grade 7.
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...
, located about 350 km south 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...
; population 16,138 (Central Statistical Office, Zimbabwe. Census of Population, 1992. Harare: Government Printer). The town was established in 1899 on Selukwe goldfield, which itself was discovered in the early 1890s not long after the annexation of Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
by the Pioneer Column
Pioneer Column
The Pioneer Column was a force raised by Cecil Rhodes and his British South Africa Company in 1890 and used in his efforts to annex the territory of Mashonaland, later part of Southern Rhodesia ....
.
History
Shurugwi was established in 1899 by the British South Africa Company and Willoughby's Consolidated Company. Its name was derived from a nearby bare oval granite hill that resembled the shape of a pigpen (selukwe) of the local Karanga people.The district remains an important centre for gold and chrome mining, but is perhaps best known as the home district of the former Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Douglas Smith who owned a farm near Gwenoro Dam.
Industry and agriculture
The town is the terminus of a branch rail line from GweruGweru
Gweru is a city near the centre of Zimbabwe at . It has a population of about 146,073 , making it the third largest city in the nation. Gweru is the capital of Midlands Province. Gweru was founded in 1894 by Dr. Leander Starr Jameson. The first bank opened in Gweru in 1896, and the stock exchange...
(formerly Gwelo), 22 miles (35 km) to the north. Shurugwi is one of 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...
'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
Subsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
of Anglo-American through its platinum wing, Angloplats, the government through education, agriculture and health.
Most farmers are peasant farmers who grow 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...
and other high grain producing crops. Animal husbandry is also practised to some extent.
Natural resources
The town is located on the mineral rich belt, commonly known as the Great DykeGreat Dyke
The Great Dyke is a linear geological feature that trends nearly north-south through the centre of Zimbabwe passing just to the west of the capital, Harare. It consists of a band of short, narrow ridges and hills spanning for approximately . The hills become taller as the range goes north, and...
in 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...
, making it one of the most mineral rich towns in the country. Chromite
Chromite
Chromite is an iron chromium oxide: FeCr2O4. It is an oxide mineral belonging to the spinel group. Magnesium can substitute for iron in variable amounts as it forms a solid solution with magnesiochromite ; substitution of aluminium occurs leading to hercynite .-Occurrence:Chromite is found in...
, 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...
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...
are all mined around Shurugwi. The town is also located on one the most beautiful places in 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...
, 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
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
since both were constructed by an Italian firm, the difference only being there are tunnels in Louis Trichardt. It has been a scene of many road accidents with most of them fatal.The most notable of these accidents occurred in 1976 when a bus load of students from Chrome Secondary School overturned. Only three teachers survived the crash
Facilities
Most of the infrastructure in Shurugwi is very old. There is only one hotel in the town centre - the Grand Hotel which now operates as a bar.Education
There are a number of schools in Shurugwi including Parkinson High, Chrome High, Shurugwi 2, Batanai High School, Charles Wraith Primary, Railway block primary, Selukwe peak primary, Ironsides primary etc. Most better schools are found in Shurugwi rural area, such as Pakame MissionPakame Mission
Pakame Mission is a Methodist run boarding school in Shurugwi, Zimbabwe which offers classes up to A-level. The mission is made up of a primary school and a high school....
, one of the oldest schools in the country, a Methodist run mission school which is about 40 km by road on the South towards Zvishavane, very close Guruguru Mountain
Guruguru Mountain
Guruguru Mountain is a solid dome-shaped volcanic rock in Shurugwi, Zimbabwe, near Pakame Mission. Guruguru, its Shona name, and Nkulunkulu, its Ndebele name, both mean "the biggest"...
, a volcanic solid rock mountain in Shurugwi Rural Areas
Shurugwi Rural Areas
Shurugwi Rural Areas also known as Shurugwi District is an area around Shurugwi, Zimbabwe, mainly to the east, beginning 20 km from the town centre. The area between the town and the rural areas was mainly occupied by white commercial farmers. It is thought that at one time, these farms were...
, Tongogara High School
Tongogara High School
Tongogara High School is a government-run high school in the rural areas of Shurugwi, Zimbabwe which offers classes up to A-level.As one of the best post-independence secondary schools to be built in Zimbabwe, it was named after an eminent son of the soil and freedom fighter, Josiah Tongogara, as...
, a government operated boarding school 40 km to the East and Hanke Adventist High School, an SDA
SDA
-Technology:* /dev/sda, the first SCSI, SATA or USB disk in Unix-like operating systems* Screen Design Aid, a utility program used by midrange IBM computer systems* Serial Data Signal of an I²C electronic bus...
run school 10 km on the North of Tongogara. All these schools offer up to Advanced Level ("A-Level") education.
There are also some post-independence (post April 18, 1980) schools with basically poor standards of education with pass rates of below 5% on Ordinary Level
Ordinary Level
The O-level is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education . It was introduced as part of British educational reform in the 1950s alongside the more in-depth and academically rigorous Advanced Level in England, Wales and Northern Ireland A-level...
(O-levels) which is due to quality teachers who normally do not want to teach in rural areas. Rusununguko Secondary School
Rusununguko Secondary School
Rusununguko Secondary School is situated under Munyanyi village in ward 10 under Chief Ndanga in Shurugwi district. The school was established in 1981 after the end of the liberation struggle and the gain of independence of Zimbabwe. It attained its name 'Rusununguko' which is a Shona word to mean...
which along the Chivi/Beit Bridge road offers better education though. It is one of the few schools to attain A-Level status in its class.
Shurugwi also has some good rural primary schools such as Vungwi Primary School
Vungwi Primary School
Vungwi Primary School, can also be written as Vhungwi and also pronounced as Vhumbwi is a primary school in Shurugwi, Zimbabwe. The school was built in 1905 making it one of the oldest schools in Zimbabwe...
, Mpumangayi Secondary School
Mpumangayi Secondary School
Established in 1984, is a secondary school in Shurugwi rural areas about 30 km away from the Shurugwi Town Centre. It offera only up to O-levels, i.e. 11th grade. It is located approximately 2 km east of Vungwi Primary School which is its sister school where many students are drawn from...
and Tumba Primary Schools. Most of the graduates leave Shurugwi after primary/secondary education to pursue further education (usually A' Levels) in other towns as far as Harare. A relative minority ultimately end up studying at the University of Zimbabwe
University of Zimbabwe
The University of Zimbabwe in Harare, is the oldest and largest university in Zimbabwe. It was founded through a special relationship with the University of London and it opened its doors to its first students in 1952. The university has ten faculties offering a wide variety of degree programmes...
and other post independent universities in Zimbabwe or even at universities abroad.
Resultantly, Shurugwi has produced a considerable number of professionals, notably in the fields of Chartered Accountants, Lawyers, Engineers, Medical Doctors etc. There is no tertiary college of any form in Shurugwi and its surrounding areas, with the nearest Technical college available 35 km away in Gweru
Gweru
Gweru is a city near the centre of Zimbabwe at . It has a population of about 146,073 , making it the third largest city in the nation. Gweru is the capital of Midlands Province. Gweru was founded in 1894 by Dr. Leander Starr Jameson. The first bank opened in Gweru in 1896, and the stock exchange...
.
Mhangami Primary School is an Anglican church run school. Originally called St Pius, it was renamed to Mhangami in honour of the local Chief Mhangami. The school was established in 1943 and offers up to grade 7.