Selukwe
|
Shurugwi Selukwe (former name) |
|
|---|---|
| Town | |
 Shurugwi
|
|
| Coordinates: 19°40′S 30°00′E / 19.667°S 30.000°ECoordinates: 19°40′S 30°00′E / 19.667°S 30.000°E | |
| Country |
 Zimbabwe
|
| Province | Midlands Province |
| Founded by | British South Africa Company and Willoughby's Consolidated Company |
| Population (1992) | |
| • Total | 16,138 |
| Climate | Cwb |
Shurugwi, formerly Selukwe, a town and administrative centre in Midlands Province, southern Zimbabwe, located about 350 km south of Harare; population 16,138 (Central Statistical Office, Zimbabwe. Census of Population, 1992. Harare: Government Printer). The town was established in 1899 on Selukwe goldfield, which itself was discovered in the early 1890s not long after the annexation of Rhodesia by the Pioneer Column.
The town lies in well wooded, hilly and picturesque country at an altitude of about 1,440m and is well watered having a typical annual rainfall of 89 cm. On a clear day it is quite possible to see the hills around Masvingo and Great Zimbabwe, the latter being over 145 km away.
Shurugwi was established in 1899 by the British South Africa Company and Willoughby's Consolidated Company. Its name was derived from a nearby bare oval granite hill that resembled the shape of a pigpen (selukwe) of the local Karanga people.
The district remains an important centre for gold and chrome mining, but is perhaps best known as the home district of the former Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Douglas Smith who owned a farm near Gwenoro Dam.
The town is the terminus of a branch rail line from Gweru (formerly Gwelo), 35 km (22 miles) to the north. Shurugwi is one of Zimbabwe's largest producers of chrome; other metals also are mined there. Its healthful climate and scenic location attract tourists and retired people. The largest employers are ZIMASCO, UNKI Mine, a subsidiary of Anglo-American through its platinum wing, Angloplats, the government through education, agriculture and health.
Most farmers are peasant farmers who grow maize and other high grain producing crops. Animal husbandry is also practised to some extent.
The town is located on a mineral-rich Archaean greenstone belt, known in this area as the Selukwe Schist Belt, making it one of the most mineral-rich towns in the country. Chromite, gold and nickel are all mined around Shurugwi. The town is also located on one of the most beautiful places in Zimbabwe, Wolfshall Pass, commonly known as Boterekwa due to the winding of the road as it negotiates its way up and between mountains. This is very similar to the pass close to Louis Trichardt in South Africa since both were constructed by an Italian firm, the difference only being there are tunnels in Louis Trichardt. It has been a scene of many road accidents with most of them fatal.The most notable of these accidents occurred in 1966 when a bus load of students from Chrome Secondary School overturned. Only three teachers survived the crash
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Wikipedia