Silobela
Encyclopedia
Silobela is an agricultural village in Gweru
District
in the Midlands Province of Zimbabwe
. It is located about 60 kilometres (37.3 mi) west of Kwekwe
, 80 kilometres (49.7 mi) north-west of Gweru
, and bordering Nkayi
on the west. Most of the inhabitants of Silobela were relocated from the area between Gweru and Bulawayo
(called Hogo) in the 1940s to allow for white commercial farmers to take up that land.
A major centre in Silobela is the Loreto Mission which incorpoates the Loreto High School, a Roman Catholic boarding school
, the Loreto Hospital, which is the largest medical centre in the region, and the Police Station with detention cells. Also in the vicinity is an irrigation co-operative and a business centre with a supermarket, beer outlets and greengrocer's. The Gweru River passes just to the east of this center.
The district is divided into smaller undocumented areas each with several primary schools and fewer secondary schools. A non-exhaustive list of these smaller areas includes Lahleka, Nyakwathi, Donsa, Simana, Ntobe, Mtshogwe, Nzwananzi, Malisa, and BB.
Silobela is known for its rich gold
deposits. There have been reports of people finding exposed gold deposits in their back yards. Gold has been mined
in the past by the now inoperative Turtle Mine, and by Empress Mine and Leopard Mine, now jointly known as Jena Mines. Currently, the Jena Mines, together with thousands of illegal gold panners, are actively extracting gold in the area.
Gweru
Gweru is a city near the centre of Zimbabwe at . It has a population of about 146,073 , making it the third largest city in the nation. Gweru is the capital of Midlands Province. Gweru was founded in 1894 by Dr. Leander Starr Jameson. The first bank opened in Gweru in 1896, and the stock exchange...
District
Districts of Zimbabwe
The provinces of Zimbabwe are divided into 59 districts and 1,200 municipalities. The districts are listed below, by province:-Bulawayo :* Bulawayo-Harare :* Harare-Manicaland Province:* Buhera* Chimanimani* Chipinge* Makoni* Mutare...
in the Midlands Province of 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...
. It is located about 60 kilometres (37.3 mi) west of Kwekwe
Kwekwe
Kwekwe or Kwe Kwe , formerly spelt Que Que, is a city in central Zimbabwe. It is located in the centre of the country —roughly equidistant from Harare to the northeast and Bulawayo to the southwest. Its population stood at 47,607 in 1982, 75,425 in 1992 and the preliminary result of the 2002...
, 80 kilometres (49.7 mi) north-west of Gweru
Gweru
Gweru is a city near the centre of Zimbabwe at . It has a population of about 146,073 , making it the third largest city in the nation. Gweru is the capital of Midlands Province. Gweru was founded in 1894 by Dr. Leander Starr Jameson. The first bank opened in Gweru in 1896, and the stock exchange...
, and bordering Nkayi
Nkayi, Zimbabwe
Nkayi is a district in Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe and is located about 100 km west of Kwekwe and 168 km north-east of Bulawayo in Nkayi communal land. It is believed that its name originates from the Tonga word "Uyinkayi" meaning "where are you going"...
on the west. Most of the inhabitants of Silobela were relocated from the area between Gweru and Bulawayo
Bulawayo
Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital Harare, with an estimated population in 2010 of 2,000,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 439 km southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland...
(called Hogo) in the 1940s to allow for white commercial farmers to take up that land.
A major centre in Silobela is the Loreto Mission which incorpoates the Loreto High School, a Roman Catholic boarding school
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
, the Loreto Hospital, which is the largest medical centre in the region, and the Police Station with detention cells. Also in the vicinity is an irrigation co-operative and a business centre with a supermarket, beer outlets and greengrocer's. The Gweru River passes just to the east of this center.
The district is divided into smaller undocumented areas each with several primary schools and fewer secondary schools. A non-exhaustive list of these smaller areas includes Lahleka, Nyakwathi, Donsa, Simana, Ntobe, Mtshogwe, Nzwananzi, Malisa, and BB.
Silobela is known for its rich gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
deposits. There have been reports of people finding exposed gold deposits in their back yards. Gold has been mined
Gold mining
Gold mining is the removal of gold from the ground. There are several techniques and processes by which gold may be extracted from the earth.-History:...
in the past by the now inoperative Turtle Mine, and by Empress Mine and Leopard Mine, now jointly known as Jena Mines. Currently, the Jena Mines, together with thousands of illegal gold panners, are actively extracting gold in the area.