Buhera District

Buhera District is a district in Zimbabwe

Location

The district is located in Manicaland Province, in southeastern Zimbabwe. It is bordered by Chikomba District and Wedza District to the north, both in Mashonaland East Province. To the nortneast lies Makoni District and Mutare District lies to the east. Chimanimani District and Chipinge District lie to the southeast. Gutu District in Masvingo Province lies to the south and west of Buhera District.[1] The district's main town, Buhera, is located approximately 170 kilometres (110 mi), by road, southwest of Mutare, the location of the provincial headquarters.[2]

Overview

Buhera District is a rural district. The local economy depends mainly on farming. The main crops are: maize, millet (mhunga), roundnuts (nyimo) and groundnuts (nzungu). Cattle ranching is also practiced in the district. Although the rains are not very reliable, the area is fertile with several irrigation schemes for the populace to supplement their meager harvests. However the schemes are now in sorry state due to government neglect. The ranching and wildlife make life enjoyable and fruitful. The largest employer in the district is Dorowa Minerals, a phosphate mine, which employs about 300 people.

History

The name Buhera is a Nguninised, then Anglicised version of the name uHera. uHera means territory of the Hera and is reference to the fact that the Hera ethnic group of the Shona lived in the area and in neighbouring Chikomba District. The vaHera of the Museyamwa totem occupy most of the Buhera territory (under Chief Nyashanu) and much of neighbouring Chikomba (under chief Mutekedza).

The Va Hera are of the Shona tribe and claim that they came from Guruuswa, which has been identified as an area north of the Zambezi River, perhaps around Uganda or South Sudan. Chiurwi Mountain was a major staging point for ZANLA liberation forces, during the Second Chimurenga War (1966 - 1979).

Population

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1992 203,909—    
2002 220,060+7.9%
2012 245,878+11.7%
Source: Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT)

During the 1992 district census, the population of the district was estimated at 203,909.[3] In 2004, the population of Buhera District was estimated at 218,570 people.[4] The next national census in Zimbabwe is scheduled from 18 August 2012 through 28 August 2012. The majority of the district residents are subsistence farmers, through a communal land system administered by the local chiefs. There are two designated urban areas in the district, namely; Murambinda and Birchenough Bridge.[5]

Education

The district has a total of 140 primary schools and 55 secondary schools in 2004.[6] Education is taken seriously in the district. Some of the notable schools in the area include: Nyashanu High School and Makumbe High School, both named after chiefs. Gunde Primary School, another rural school, is the alma mater of Brantina Chirinda, a holder of a PhD in Mathematical education program from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa. These schools have produced many bright students who have passed through the country's universities and now occupy high offices in industry and various academia.

Notable people

The notable people associated with the district include the following:

See also

References

  1. ↑ Zimbabwe District Map
  2. ↑ Map Showing Buhera And Mutare With Distance Marker
  3. ↑ Estimated Population of Buhera District In 1992
  4. ↑ Estimated Population of Buhera District In 2004
  5. ↑ Overview of Buhera District Archived November 21, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  6. ↑ Manicaland Regional Education Office, 2004

External links

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