Tsholotsho
Encyclopedia
Introduction
Tsholotsho (formerly known as Tjolotjo) is a business center in Matabeleland NorthMatabeleland North
Matabeleland North is a province in western Zimbabwe. It borders the provinces of Midlands and Mashonaland West to the east and northeast respectively, and the province of Matabeleland South and the city of Bulawayo to the south. Its northern border is defined by the Zambezi river, while its...
, 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...
and is located about 65km north-west of Nyamandhlovu
Nyamandhlovu
Nyamandhlovu is a village in Matabeleland North province in Zimbabwe. Nyamandhlovu means "meat of the elephant" in the local language of Ndebele....
,and 98km north-west of 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...
as the bird flies, in the Tjolotjo communal land. Districts around Tsholotsho include Lupane
Lupane
Lupane can refer to :*Lupane District in Zimbabwe*Lupane triterpenes...
, Hwange
Hwange
Hwange is a town in western Zimbabwe, in the province of Matabeleland North. It is named after the chieftain of Zwange, who is now called Chief Hwange. The town was known as Wankie until 1982. According to the 1992 Population Census, the town had a population of 42,581...
, and Plumtree
Plumtree, Zimbabwe
Plumtree, Zimbabwe is a town in Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe, close to the border to Botswana. It is the local administrative centre. It sits at an altitude of 1280 metres on the watershed between the Limpopo river and the Nata river that drains into Okavango to the north. The annual rainfall is...
.
History
Before Zimbabwe’s independence Tsholotsho was named Tjolotjo, a name which still stands as one of Tsholotsho’s nicknames up to Today. It is believed the name Tsholotsho was given by members of King Mzilikazi’s entourage during the Ndebele invasion of Zimbabwe. Back then the area was occupied by the San and the name Tsholotsho was derived from the San word “Holohou” meaning the head of an elephant.The area was originally inhabited by the Maswara bushmen who were not true bushmen but a mixture of the bushmen and the local tribes. Tjolotjo received its name during the trek into Matabeleland by Mzilikazi as he led his nation from the south in search of new pastures and lands for his people as they fled from the Boers in the Transvaal. The area was a favourite of the elephant herds that had attracted the early ivory hunters and were still to be found in abundance when the Matabele arrived in 1838.
Tjolotjo is situated about 65 kilometres west of Nyamandhlovu in the Gwaai Tribal Trust land. It has been an administrative centre for the trust land for many years and fell under the jurisdiction of the Native Commissioner for Nyamandhlovu who first assumed responsibility in 1909. Prior to this date the area fell under the jurisdiction of the Superintendent of Natives at Bulawayo.
The village is linked to Plumtree by a dirt road and other roads lead through very heavy Kalahari sands (Gusu) into the Gwaai Tribal areas and beyond into the forest reserves. The soils around the precincts of the village are regosols derived from Kalahari sands and shallow rocky basalt-derived pockets are to be found in the district. There is a belt of alluvium along the Gwaai river which has led numerous prospectors in the search of minerals and precious and semi-precious stones. An industrial school was founded at Tjolotjo in 1921 by H. S. Keigwin, who also had a hand in establishing a similar institution at Domboshawa the following year. The original course was designed by E. D. Alvord, who was then an agricultural missionary at Mount Selinda, where he had started instructing African students on similar lines in 1920. The school was moved to Essexvale between the years 1941 and 1944 and renamed 'Esigodini'. It is fitting that Mr. Alvord's son D. L. Alvord should have been appointed the principal of the college.
After the college was transferred to Essexvale, the vacated land was used as an experimental substation of the Matopos Research station, where the work is primarily concerned with the breeding of indigenous Nkone or 'manguni' cattle. These animals which originally came from Swaziland and Zululand, were brought by the Matabele during their northward migrations during the first half of the 19th century. These cattle are believed to have originated from a shorthorn-sanga cross. The name sanga was applied to the giant horned cattle of Abyssinia. The head and horns form the principal conformational features by which the breed is identified; their most characteristic feature when mature, being the lyre-shape.
Geology
Tsholotsho is located in an area which once used to be a water logged basin over 250 million years ago. This basin can be traced as far North as Hwange and is responsible for the formation of the coal deposits in Hwange. Tsholotsho has two principal rivers which are Manzamnyama and Gwayi. The rivers are relatively wide being over 100m in places but usually only flow during the rains.Tsholotsho is composed of mainly three types of soils.The Kalahari Sands cover over 70% of the Tsholotsho land area. These are located on the North Western areas of Tsholotsho from Korodziba through Dlamini right up to Jimila. The Kalahari Sands can also be found in the North-Central areas like Sipepa and Kapani. The rich black Clay soils are found in a 4km wide belt stretching about 2km either side of Gwayi River in what can be called “The Gwayi River flood plain”. This area is prone to flooding as in the case of Mahlaba and water logging as in the case of Shakiwa (Matemaule). The red clay soils can be found in the South Eastern areas of Tsholotsho right from Mapulubusi through Madona and right up to Ngqoya.
Flora and Fauna
Tsholotsho is home to hardwoods such as the teak, these being found in the Kalahari sands. The clays are home to the thorn acacia and extensively covered grassland areas.Being located next to the massive Hwange National park Tsholotsho is home to basically all the animal species found in Zimbabwe, these being the Elephants, buffaloes, lions, kudus and hundreds of other species.
Population
Tsholotsho is home to three ethnic groups, these being the Ndebele, Kalanga and San. The principal language is Ndebele which is spoken by over 80% of the population and understood by over 90% of the population.Economy
The main economic activity in Tsholotsho is farming. The soils are bad for cultivation except the black clay soils along Gwayi river. The Kalahari sands are surprisingly good for cattle rearing though they need massive investment in terms of reliable water provision and disease prevention. For those who cannot embark on either of the two economic activities the gold mines and farms of South Africa are the only solution hence the massive migration to South Africa in this district. An industrial school was founded here in 1921 but was relocated to EsigodiniEsigodini
Esigodini is a village in Zimbabwe in Matabeleland South province. It is situated 43 km from Bulawayo by road and 47 km by rail on the Bulawayo-Beitbridge line. According to the 1982 Population Census, the village had a population of 1,492. Esigodini is the administrative centre for Umzingwane...
in 1941 and the old buildings taken over by the Matopos Research Station where cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
breeding is researched.
Transport and Communication
Tsholotsho District has a relatively extensive road network system. Most of the roads are however unusable due to the extensive Kalahari sands covering the district. The road from BulawayoBulawayo
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...
to Tsholotsho District's main business centre is a tarred strip road for 103km of its 117km length
Length
In geometric measurements, length most commonly refers to the longest dimension of an object.In certain contexts, the term "length" is reserved for a certain dimension of an object along which the length is measured. For example it is possible to cut a length of a wire which is shorter than wire...
. Upon reaching the Business Centre it branches into three main branches which further subdivide into smaller roads. Of note is the main road from the Business Centre to the 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...
- Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls
The Victoria Falls or Mosi-oa-Tunya is a waterfall located in southern Africa on the Zambezi River between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe.-Introduction:...
highway which is now a tarred double lane road. The road passes through Nembe, Jimila, Tshino, Mcetshwa, Sipepa Business Centre, Gwayi Siding all the way to the 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...
- Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls
The Victoria Falls or Mosi-oa-Tunya is a waterfall located in southern Africa on the Zambezi River between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe.-Introduction:...
highway. This road branches at Nembe; with a dirt road branching to the north
North
North is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.North is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west.By convention, the top side of a map is north....
-west
West
West is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.West is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of east and is perpendicular to north and south.By convention, the left side of a map is west....
later joining the main road at Sipepa business centre. The distance from Tsholotsho Business Centre to Sipepa Business centre is 113km by this road as compared to 72km when using the main road.
Another road leaves the Tsholotsho Business Centre in a westerly direction later branching about four times. The first branch is a road to Plumtree
Plumtree, Zimbabwe
Plumtree, Zimbabwe is a town in Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe, close to the border to Botswana. It is the local administrative centre. It sits at an altitude of 1280 metres on the watershed between the Limpopo river and the Nata river that drains into Okavango to the north. The annual rainfall is...
passing through Ehampeni, Mbamba and other villages. Another branch heads as far as Korodziba passing through Somlotha, Chief Mswigana, Dhlamini, Mazibisa and other notable villages.
Yet another branch goes beyond Butabubili, passing through Mgodi Masili and having a turnoff to the Seventh-day-Adventist
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
-run Nemani Mission. Most of these roads link in places forming a surprisingly sophisticated web for a district generally regarded as poor.
Government & Politics
Tsholotsho is a well known “battle ground” of Zimbabwean politics with the latest event being the so-called Tsholotsho Declaration of 2005 involving leading ZANU-PF members and current Tsholotsho Member of parliament Jonathan MoyoJonathan Moyo
Jonathan Nathaniel Moyo is a controversial political figure in Zimbabwe. He was Minister of Information from 2000 to 2005 and is currently a Member of Parliament. He is considered the core architect of AIPPA and POSA....
in which they were accused of mooting a boardroom removal of President Mugabe.
It was the location of a mass killing in 1983, as part of Robert Mugabe
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
's "Gukurahundi
Gukurahundi
The Gukurahundi refers to the suppression by Zimbabwe's 5th Brigade in the predominantly Ndebele regions of Zimbabwe most of whom were supporters of Joshua Nkomo. A few hundred disgruntled former ZIPRA combatants waged armed banditry against the civilians in Matabeleland, and destroyed government...
" . Jonathan Moyo, sometime information minister for Robert Mugabe
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
's government, is now an Independent MP for Tsholotsho.