Triangle, Zimbabwe
Encyclopedia
Triangle is a small town in Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe
and is located 125 km south-east from Masvingo
, between Ngundu Growth Point and Chiredzi
. The town is located in the district of Chiredzi
, one of the seven in Masvingo Province.
's Triangle Estate, Zimbabwe's 2nd largest irrigation
scheme, rivaling Hippo Valley Estate
.
are under irrigation and there is a large sugar
mill on the estate. Sugar cane was first planted in the region in 1931 by Thomas Murray McDougall and was first processed in 1939. Due to the economic decline the country is going through, like at Hippo Valley, production of sugar has fallen in recent years. The decline in production has been compounded by a large body of displaced farmers who have settled on some of its productive fields, further hampering production.
At formation of the Sugar Estates, much of the labour to work the land was brought in from neighbouring Malawi and Zambia. These labourers came in to work on the sugar cane plantations as general labourers and cane cutters. As a result of intermarriages between the local Karanga, Shangaan and the plantation workers who were predominantly foreigners, this has resulted in the mix of ethnicities and cultures in Triangle and the Southern districts of Zimbabwe. The majority of the town's residents are employed by the company.
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...
and is located 125 km south-east from Masvingo
Masvingo
Masvingo is a town in south-eastern Zimbabwe and the capital of Masvingo Province. The town is close to Great Zimbabwe, the national monument from which the country takes its name.- History :...
, between Ngundu Growth Point and Chiredzi
Chiredzi
Chiredzi is a small town in Masvingo province in south-east Zimbabwe. Together with its sister town of Triangle, it is the major center of sugar production in the country.-Background:...
. The town is located in the district of Chiredzi
Chiredzi District
Chiredzi District is found in south-east Zimbabwe in Masvingo Province. The district is the major center of sugar production in the country. Hippo Valley Hospital, found in the district, is one of a numbers of center for HIV/AIDS treatment in the province....
, one of the seven in Masvingo Province.
Background
The town developed around Tongaat HulettTongaat Hulett
The Tongaat Hulett Group is a major agribusiness company of southern Africa that focuses on sugar. The company is originally based on the Sugar Coast, in Tongaat, KwaZulu-Natal, a suburb of Durban, and was founded in 1892 by Liege Hulett. Company stock is listed on the Johannesburg Securities...
's Triangle Estate, Zimbabwe's 2nd largest irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
scheme, rivaling Hippo Valley Estate
Hippo Valley Estate
Hippo Valley Estate is a sugar estate found near the town of Chiredzi in Chiredzi District of southeastern Zimbabwe,on the Runde River near the border with Mozambique.- Background :...
.
Triangle Estate
In the company's fields, 13,500ha of sugar cane and cottonCotton
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....
are under irrigation and there is a large sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
mill on the estate. Sugar cane was first planted in the region in 1931 by Thomas Murray McDougall and was first processed in 1939. Due to the economic decline the country is going through, like at Hippo Valley, production of sugar has fallen in recent years. The decline in production has been compounded by a large body of displaced farmers who have settled on some of its productive fields, further hampering production.
At formation of the Sugar Estates, much of the labour to work the land was brought in from neighbouring Malawi and Zambia. These labourers came in to work on the sugar cane plantations as general labourers and cane cutters. As a result of intermarriages between the local Karanga, Shangaan and the plantation workers who were predominantly foreigners, this has resulted in the mix of ethnicities and cultures in Triangle and the Southern districts of Zimbabwe. The majority of the town's residents are employed by the company.