Empress Mine
| Empress Mine | |
|---|---|
| Township | |
| Nickname(s): Empress Mine Township, Zimbabwe, Empress Growth Point | |
 Empress Mine
|
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| Coordinates: 18°27′36″S 29°26′9.59″E / 18.46000°S 29.4359972°ECoordinates: 18°27′36″S 29°26′9.59″E / 18.46000°S 29.4359972°E | |
| country |
 Zimbabwe
|
| Province | Midlands |
| District | Kwekwe |
| Elevation | 1,020 m (3,350 ft) |
| Time zone | Central Africa Time (UTC+2) |
Empress Mine Township is a populated place in the area formerly known as Salakuhle (misspelt as Salagushle) in Zhombe Communal Land, Kwekwe District of the Midlands Province in Zimbabwe. It is Zhombe's largest Growth point yet plays second fiddle to Zhombe Joel, the current Zhombe Center.
Empress Mine Township is about 70 km south-west of Kadoma by road, 98 km north-west of Kwekwe by the fastest route, and just 3 km south of Columbina Rural Service Center.
First houses at Empress Mine Township were built in 1968 when Empress Nickel Mine was established. twelve years after Rio Tinto Southern Rhodesia Limited was initially incorporated on August 29, 1956 to develop and mine the Empress Nickel deposit. RioZim as it is called now, was the first mining operation Rio Tinto set up outside Europe.
There were two residential areas, one for whites and the other for Africans.
What was known as Empress Mine Township was the Whites only suburban location which was a low density area with bigger, more beautiful houses and a lovely set-up.
Former workers of ‘‘Cam and Motor Mine’’ were quick to call the low density suburban township maCammera meaning at Cammera; CAMMERA being short for Cam and Motor Mine European Residential Area, because it reminded them of the CAMMERAs at Eiffel Flats, Kadoma and Martin Spur near Kadoma. To this day the low density area is referred to as kumaCAMMERA meaning at CAMMERA.
Facilities At Empress Nickel Mine's peak the low density suburban had all the best and beautiful facilities urban centers enjoy let alone a high school. Secondary school pupils travelled to Kadoma daily by bus. There was a primary school, a club house, squash court, tennis court, bowling club, churches and multiple other state of the art facilities.
Mopani Township was an all blacks township with various types of houses some of which were sub-standard. However many blacks had not been exposed to the best of houses, and they were comfortable in those houses. Not all houses for blacks were undesirable; some met even the standards of today's smaller houses.
Facilities Residents of Mopani Township had no complain in terms of recreational facilities let alone swimming pools and state of the art type of facilities. Senior black officers and teachers had their residence between the low and high density suburban along Micah Crescent which is now Machabango Crescent after a long serving building instructor at Rio Tinto Agricultural College.
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Wikipedia