Gutu is the third largest district in Masvingo Province, southern Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...

, after Chiredzi and Mwenezi. It is the northernmost district in the province. The name "Gutu" is historically reported to have emerged from "Chinomukutu wemiseve" – meaning, "that with a load of arrows". This is according to historical early settlement reports of the "Gumbo" clan who are said to have taken over the area from the "Shiri" clan through killing them by poisoning the fruit trees in the "Gona" area.Mupandawana is the district service centre, it was designated as a "growth point" during the early years of independent Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...

 together with such places as Gokwe in the Midlands Province and Juru in Mashonaland East

Mashonaland East

Mashonaland East is a province of Zimbabwe. It has an area of 32,230 km² and a population of approximately 1.1 million . Marondera is the capital of the province.-Districts:Mashonaland East is divided into eight districts:* Chikomba* Goromonzi...

 province.

It was home to the late Dr Oliver Munyaradzi, Simon Muzenda

Simon Muzenda

Simon Vengai Muzenda was a Shona from the Karanga group, a Zimbabwean politician who served as a Deputy Prime Minister and vice president under President Robert Mugabe, a Shona Zezeru....

, the former vice president of Zimbabwe as well as Lt. Gen. (Rtd.) Vitalis Zvinavashe (born September 27, 1943 in Gutu – died March 11, 2009) who was a Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and politician. The late Air Chief Marshal Josiah Tungamirai (8 October 1948 – 25 August 2005 was also a native of Gutu. Robert Dondo, the C# developer currently resident in Randburg South Africa is also a native of Gutu. Gutu Mission Hospital found in the district, is one of a numbers of center for HIV

HIV

Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...

/AIDS

AIDS

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...

 treatment in the province. The population is mostly the Karanga

Karanga

Karanga may refer to:* Karanga , Mangaia, Cook Islands* Karanga , an element of Māori cultural protocol, the calling of visitors onto a marae.* Ikalanga language* "Te Karanga", a song by Rhian Sheehan* a clan of the Shona people...

, a Shona

Shona people

Shona is the name collectively given to two groups of people in the east and southwest of Zimbabwe, north eastern Botswana and southern Mozambique.-Shona Regional Classification:...

 sub-tribe. It is one of a few districts in the province where the standard of living is above average. Gutu Rural District council is in charge of the day to day running of the district.

Geography

Climatically, the area falls under Natural Region III. Natural Regions (NRs) in Zimbabwe's context are areas delineated on the basis of soil type, rainfall and other climatic factors. It is one of a few districts in the country that suffers from over-population. Its population density of 22.08 per square kilometer is among the highest in the country.
Gutu district center had a population of 10-12000 in 1989. Like other districts in the country, medical facilities in the district suffer from shortage of manpower.

Mpandawana Growth Point, a famous business center in Zimbabwe, is found in the district.

General elections 2008

The district was divided into four parts by the electoral commission for the general elections of 2008. Candidates from both the MDC

Movement for Democratic Change – Tsvangirai

The Movement for Democratic Change Zimbabwe is a political party and the largest party in the House of Assembly of Zimbabwe. It is the main formation formed from the split of the original Movement for Democratic Change in 2005.-Foundation:...

 and ZANU-PF and independents will compete for the four constituency seats available and winner will go one to represent the district in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...

's new House of Assembly

House of Assembly

House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level....

.

Matuke Lovemore (Zanu-PF), and Chirume Oliver (MDC Tsvangirai) will contest the Gutu central seat while in Gutu east, Chikwama Bertha (Zanu-PF), Revai Tichaona (Independent), Makamure Ramson (MDC Tsvangirai) will fight it out. In Gutu north, the candidates are Maramwidze Edmore (MDC Tsvangirai), and Machaya Frank (Zanu-PF) while Mandevu Tarirai (Zanu-PF), and Maguma Stanley (MDC Tsvangirai) are vying for the Gutu west seat.

The results came as follows

Of the five seats, four seats were won by MDC Tsvangirai, and one went to Zanu PF.

Education and Schools

Gutu district has some of Masvingo province's finest private/church boarding schools.
Among these schools are the following:
High Schools

• Alheit Mission (Reformed church in Zimbabwe- formerly Dutch Reformed Church)
• Dewure Mission (Church of Christ)
• Gutu Mission (Reformed Church in Zimbabwe)
• Mukaro Mission(Roman Catholic)
• Mutero Mission(Roman Catholic)
• Serima Mission (Roman Catholic)

Secondary Schools

• Chesvingo
• Chitsa secondary school
• Chikwerengwe Secondary School
• Chingombe Secondary School
• Chimedza Secondary School
• Domborembava Secondary School
• Makamure Secondary School
• Makumbe Secondary School
• Magombedze secondary school
• Makura Secondary School
• Muchekayaora Secondary School
• Munyaradzi Secondary School
• Munyikwa Secondary School
• Mpandawana Secondary School
• Mushayavanhu Secondary School
• Mutambwi Secondary School
• Majada Secondary School
• Nemashakwe Secondary School
• Rafemoyo Secondary School
• Vumba Secondary School
• Guni Secondary School
• Chitenderano Secondary School
• Guzha Secondary School
• Zimbizi Secondary school
• Munjanganja Secondary School
• Dewende Secondary School
• Hunduza Secondary School
• Rupiri Secondary School
• Mundondo High School
• Nerupiri High School

Primary Schools

• Bako Primary School
• Berry Spring Primary School
• Chikara Primary school
• Mauzhe Primary school
• Gonese Primary school
• Chamisa Primary School
• Chimedza Primary School
• Chipangane Primary School
• Chisheche Primary School
• Chitando Primary School
• Chivasa Primary School
• Chitsa Primary School
• Dewure Primary School
• Gona School
• Gutu United School
• Gutu Central Primary School
• Guzha Primary School
• Hamandishe Primary School
• Hwiru Primary School
• Kurai Primary School
• Machingambi Primary School
• Magombedze primary school
• Magadzire Primary School
• Majada Primary School
• Makumbe Primary School
• Makura Primary School
• Maregedze Primary School
• Masvingise Primary school
• Mataruse Primary School
• Muchekayaora Primary School
• Mugodhi Primary School
• Mukaro Dutch Primary School
• Mukoroverwa Primary School
• Mukundi Primary School
• Munyaradzi Primary School
• Munyikwa Primary School
• Mushayavanhu Primary School
• Mutambwi Primary School
• Mutombwa Primary School
• Ndisengei Primary School
• Nerupiri Primary School
• Ranga Primary School
• Svazva Primary School
• Trafalgar Primary School
• Vhunjere Primary School
• Zvavahera Primary School
• Chekure Primary School
• Guni Primary School
• Makore Primary School
• Mutendevure Primary School
• Gono Primary School
• Gorondondo Primary School
• Marinda Primary School
• Ruti Primary School
• Zinhata Primary School

Tertiary Colleges

• Gutu Mission School of Nursing
• Hubvumwe Training Institute

Hospitals and Clinics

• Alheit Clinic
• Dewure Clinic
• Chin'ai Clinic
• Kubiku Clinic
• Mbambo/Vhunjere Clinic
• Gutu Rural General Hospital
• Gutu Mission Hospital
• Mukaro Clinic
• Chitando Rural Hospital
• Mutema Clinic
• Cheshuro Clinic
• Guni/Muvunde Clinic
• Mutero Clinic
• Zinhata Clinic

Notable Families

• Chivasa
• Chimombe
• Manwa
• Dauramanzi
• Shumbairerwa
• Kubvoruno
• Zvenyika
• Rutsate
• Bara
• Chabata
• Chakawa / Munodawafa
• Mutando
• Chatikobo
• Chimedza
• Chitsa
• Chisveto
• Chiwara
• Choto
• Dondo
• Guni
• Gutu
• Hamandishe
• Jakachira
• Madondo
• Madzana
• Madziva/Musara
• Mahofa
• Magombedze
• Mazango/Masheka
• Manzanga
• Masanganise
• Mativenga/ Mhini
• Makadho/Mutema
• Mkushi
• Muchekayaora
• Mudzamba
• Munyaradzi
• Mukaro
• Mukondo
• Mukoroverwa
• Mukushi
• Munyaradzi
• Munyikwa
• Mutema
• Muzenda
• Musara
• Mutambara
• Ndisengei
• Runyowa
• Tawonezvi
• Tsvangirai
• Zvarevashe
• Zvinavashe
• Muhenyeri
• Mandinyenya
• Rushwaya
• Murombo
• Makore
• Sadzauchi
• Mutika
• Masendeke
• Ndawi