Gweru
Coordinates: 19 ° 25 ′ S , 29 ° 50 ′ E
Gweru , until 1982 Gwelo, is a place in the Midlands , almost in the geographical center of Zimbabwe (historically Rhodesia and Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland ) on the geological rift of the Great Dyke . It was founded in 1890 as a post office between Bulawayo and what was then Salisbury, now Harare . In 1914 it became an independent municipality and in 1971 received city rights.
overview
Today Gweru with 154,865 inhabitants (2012 census) is the sixth largest city in Zimbabwe, its import and export center, an industrial center for shoe production (Bata), chrome alloys (Zimbabwe Alloy), metal processing and the production of cement. Since the surrounding area is one of the best cattle breeding areas in the country, there is a slaughterhouse and tanneries for the hides that are used in the shoe industry. Furthermore, there are extensive wine-growing areas in the surrounding area.
To the east of Gweru on the Great Dyke are mines that extract platinum , chromium and magnesium ores, as well as other ores.
The city is on the Bulawayo - Harare , Maputo and Masvingo railway lines . The Gweru-Harare section was electrified in 1983. National Railways of Zimbabwe operates one of the largest railway depots in the country in Gweru (see also: Rail transport in Zimbabwe ). There is a military airport that was previously used for domestic flights. Eight trunk roads lead into the surrounding area.
Gweru is home to a number of educational institutions, the Polytechnic , Midlands State University and Mkoba Teachers College . It has several schools and hospitals. The urban infrastructure is intact.
In addition, the central training center of the Zimbabwean military, the Zimbabwe Military Academy (ZMA), is located here. In 2017 Arnold Gumbo became head of this training facility. He succeeded his predecessor Stephen Gwekwerere.
Population development
The following overview shows the population by area since the 1982 census.
| year | Residents |
|---|---|
| 1982 | 78,918 |
| 1992 | 128.037 |
| 2002 | 140.806 |
| 2012 | 154,825 |
Town twinning
Gweru has partnerships with Birmingham, Alabama , USA, and Tsumeb , Namibia.
Attractions
The Boggie Clock Tower was built in a central location in 1928 in honor of Major William James Boggie.
Sons and daughters
- Shimmer Chinodya (born 1957), writer
- Rudolf Nyandoro (* 1968), Roman Catholic clergyman, Bishop of Gokwe
Web links
- Official website (English)
- Midlands State University (English)
- map
Individual evidence
- ↑ 2012 census, PDF page 8 ( Memento from June 12, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 390 kB)
- ↑ The Chronicle, Patrick Chitumba: ZMA College to be upgraded to varsity . on www.chronicle.co.zw (English)
- ↑ Munyaradzi Musiiwa: New ZMA boss . on www.sundaynews.co.zw (English)
- ↑ Zimbabwe: Provinces, Cities & Places - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information. Retrieved January 7, 2019 .
- ↑ Portrait of Gwerus (English), accessed on January 28, 2017