Highfield, Zimbabwe
| Highfield | |
|---|---|
| Suburb, Township, Town | |
| Nickname(s): Fiyo | |
 Highfield
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| Coordinates: 17°53′42″S 30°59′26″E / 17.89500°S 30.99056°E | |
| Town | Highfield |
| Elevation | 1,586 m (5,203 ft) |
| Time zone | +2:00 |
Highfield is the second oldest high-density suburb or township in Harare, Zimbabwe built to house Rhodesians of African origin, the first being Mbare. Highfield was founded on what used to be Highfields Farm. It is of historical, cultural and political significance to Zimbabwe and is known as Fiyo in local slang. It is one of the birthplaces of the Zimbabwe African National Union and is home to several prominent people in the country.
Highfield was built by the Southern Rhodesian government in the 1930s as a segregated township to house predominantly black labourers and their families during the colonial era, the first being Mbare (National) which was known by locals as "Haarare" or "Haarari" which gave its name to the modern capital of Zimbabwe, Harare. Haarare which translates to "ever vigilant" or directly as "one who never sleeps" was also a name given to the Zezuru Chief of this area, Chief Harawa.
Highfield was established to accommodate workers employed in the nearby industrial zones of Southerton and Workington in similar fashion to how Mbare had been set up to provide for those employed in Workington, Graniteside and as domestic labour to European households in the city's northern and western suburbs.
Highfield has remained a poor suburb despite the regeneration in other areas after 1980. Most of its successful residents choose to move out of the area (in a similar pattern to other high-density areas) rather than invest and set up in the area. It also remains a primary destination (like most high-density areas in Zimbabwe) for rural to urban migrants, who find it easier to pay for accommodation there and commute to work. They are also attracted by the easier opportunities to start up home businesses at Machipisa and Gazaland Home Industry areas. It thus remains heavily populated, with high unemployment and is socially deprived. Petty crime is high as well as more serious crimes like burglaries, assaults and grievous bodily harm.
It is located in South West Harare and is bordered by Glen Norah (formerly Baxter Farm) to the South West, Waterfalls to the South East, Willowvale and Southerton spanning North East to North West. The centre of Highfield is marked by the North Eastern corner of Chengu Primary School. Highfield was founded on what used to be Highfields Farm. The farmhouses have become the Rutsanana Clinic and municipal buildings in what is now Glen Norah suburb, a stone's throw from the former Municipal Compound, locally known as the "Short Lines".
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