Chitungwiza

Chitungwiza is the third populous urban centre in Zimbabwe and town of Harare Province in Zimbabwe. It is located on the outskirts of Harare.

Chitungwiza
Coat of arms
Nickname:  Chi Town
Motto:  Pamberi nekushandira pamwe
Chitungwiza
Coordinates: 17°59′38″S 31°02′53″E
Country	Zimbabwe
Province	Harare Province
Area
• Total	49.02 km2 (18.93 sq mi)
Elevation	1,448 m (4,751 ft)
Population  (2022 census)[1]
• Total	371,244
• Density	7,600/km2 (20,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2 (CAT)
Climate	Cwb
Website	www.chitungwiza.co.zw

History

As of the 2022 census, Chitungwiza had a population of 371,244.^[1]

There are two main highways which connect the city to Harare^[2] namely Seke road and Chitungwiza road.

The Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex, built in 1995 for the All Africa Games, is no longer functional, and serves as a music and church venue.^[3]

Tonderai Kasu

Informal settlements

Following the civil war, the area experienced rapid Rural-urban migration. Chitungwiza grew rapidly and the squatted area of Chirambahuyo alone had a population of 30,000 in 1979.^[4] Chirambahuyo was demolished by the authorities in 1982 and the inhabitants squatted elsewhere in the city in areas such as Mayambara.^[5]

Slum areas in Chitungwiza were destroyed by Operation Murambatsvina in 2005.^[6] By the mid-2010s, the number of people squatting in informal settlements was growing.^[7] In 2020, the local authorities abandoned their plans to demolish squatter homes in Nyatsime, Seke, St Mary’s and Zengeza, after a court order was requested.^[8]

Demolitions during Operation Murambatsvina in 2005

Notable people

Prominent lawyer, Liveours Mundieta comes from Chitungwiza. ^[9]

The musician Maskiri comes from Chitungwiza.^[10]

The town clerk in 2016 was Dr George Makunde.^[11] In 2019 and 2020, Dr. Tonderai Kasu served as the acting town clerk.^[12] Emmanuel Makandiwa and Alick Macheso are from Chitungwiza.

Current mayor: Lovemore Maiko^[13]

References

1. Citypopulation.de Population of the major cities in Zimbabwe
2. Financial Gazette editorial of 17 May 2006 "Zimbabwe: It's Chombo's Fault"
3. "Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex-begging for restoration". Newsday. 11 October 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
4. MSINDO, Prince Daniel; GUTSA, Ignatius; CHOGUYA, Naume Zorodzai (2013). "Squatter Settlements an Urban Menace in Zimbabwe? Examining Factors behind the Continued Resurfacing of Squatter Settlements in Epworth Suburb, Harare" (PDF). Journal of Settlements and Spatial Planning. 4 (2).
5. Ramsamy, Edward (27 September 2006). World Bank and Urban Development: From Projects to Policy. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-28696-6.
6. Potts, Deborah (2006). "'Restoring Order'? Operation Murambatsvina and the Urban Crisis in Zimbabwe". Journal of Southern African Studies. 32 (2): 273–291. Bibcode:2006JSAfS..32..273P. doi:10.1080/03057070600656200. ISSN 0305-7070. JSTOR 25065092. S2CID 154537881.
7. Matabvu, Debra; Agere, Harmony (11 January 2015). "Squatters: Housing shortages or lawlessness?". The Sunday Mail. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
8. "Chitungwiza Municipality Halts House Demolition Exercise". New Zimbabwe. 12 October 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
9. "Topic : Liveours Mundieta". Newsday. 18 December 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
10. "Maskiri returns with a bang". The Standard. 19 March 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
11. "The Oracle: Makunde is blind to the poverty around him". The Standard. 14 February 2016.
12. "Town clerk, housing director suspended". The Herald.
13. "Mayor". Chitungwiza. Retrieved 2 February 2022.