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{{Multiple issues| {{More citations needed|date=April 2015}} {{original research|date=August 2016}} }} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}} {{Infobox settlement <!--See the Table at Infobox Settlement for all fields and descriptions of usage--> <!-- Basic info ---------------->| official_name = Gweru | other_name = Gwelo | native_name = | nickname = | settlement_type = [[City]] | motto = ''Progress'' <!-- images and maps ----------->| image_skyline = Boggies clock Gweru.jpg | imagesize = | image_caption = | image_flag = | flag_size = | image_seal = | seal_size = | image_shield = Gweru (coat of arms).png | shield_size = | image_blank_emblem = | blank_emblem_type = | blank_emblem_size = | image_map = | mapsize = | map_caption = | image_map1 = | mapsize1 = | map_caption1 = | image_dot_map = | dot_mapsize = | dot_map_caption = | dot_x = | dot_y = | pushpin_map = Zimbabwe <!-- the name of a location map as per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Location_map --> | pushpin_label_position = right <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none --> | pushpin_map_caption = Gweru in Zimbabwe | pushpin_mapsize = <!-- Location ------------------> | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = [[Zimbabwe]] | subdivision_type1 = [[Provinces of Zimbabwe|Province]] | subdivision_name1 = [[Midlands Province|Midlands]] | established_title = Founded | established_date = 1894 | established_title2 = Incorporated (town) | established_date2 = 1914 | established_title3 = Incorporated (city) | established_date3 = 1971 <!-- Area --------------------->| area_magnitude = | unit_pref = <!--Enter: Imperial, if Imperial (metric) is desired--> | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = <!-- ALL fields dealing with a measurements are subject to automatic unit conversion--> | area_land_km2 = <!--See table @ Template:Infobox Settlement for details on automatic unit conversion--> | area_water_km2 = | population_as_of = 2022 census | population_footnotes = <ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/en/zimbabwe/cities/ Citypopulation.de] Population of the major cities in Zimbabwe</ref> | population_note = | population_total = 158,200 | population_density_km2 = auto | population_density_sq_mi = <!-- General information ---------------> | timezone = [[Central Africa Time|CAT]] | utc_offset = +2 | timezone_DST = | utc_offset_DST = | coordinates = {{coord|19|27|41|S|29|48|08|E|region:ZW|display=inline,title}} | elevation_footnotes = <!--for references: use <ref> </ref> tags--> | elevation_m = 1424 | elevation_ft = <!-- Area/postal codes & others --------> | postal_code_type = <!-- enter ZIP code, Postcode, Post code, Postal code... --> | postal_code = | area_code = | blank_name = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]] | blank_info = [[Oceanic climate#Subtropical highland variety (Cfb, Cwb)|Cwb]] | blank1_name = | blank1_info = | website = https://gwerucitycouncilsite.wordpress.com/ | footnotes = }} '''Gweru''', originally known as '''Gwelo''', is a city in central [[Zimbabwe]]. It is on the centre of [[Midlands Province]]. Originally an area known to the [[Northern Ndebele people|Ndebele]] as "The Steep Place" because of the [[Gweru River]]'s high [[Bank (geography)|banks]], in 1894 it became the site of a military outpost established by [[Leander Starr Jameson]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mygweru.com/|title=Gweru – The City of Progress|website=mygweru.com|access-date=2016-11-14|archive-date=10 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190510120440/http://mygweru.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1914 it attained [[Municipality|municipal]] status, and in 1971 it became a [[city]]. The city has a population of 158,200 as of the 2022 census. Gweru is known for farming activities in beef cattle, crop farming, and commercial gardening of crops for the export market.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Gweru|title=Gweru {{!}} Zimbabwe|newspaper=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=2016-11-14}}</ref> It is also home to a number of colleges and universities, most prominently [[Midlands State University]] and [[Mkoba Teachers College]]. The city was nicknamed City of Progress. == History == Gweru used to be named Gwelo. Matabele settlement was named iKwelo ("The Steep Place"), after the river's high banks. The modern town, founded in 1894 as a military outpost, developed as an agricultural centre and became a municipality in 1914. == Geography == The geographical coordinates for Gweru Urban are 19° 27<nowiki>' 0'' South and 29° 49' 0''</nowiki> East. This places Gweru at the centre of [[Zimbabwe]]. The area coverage is almost 46 166 km<sup>2</sup>. The city is built alongside Bulawayo-Harare railway and the road near the railway spur to Mabuto. === Climate === {{Weather box |location = Gweru (1961–1990) |single line = Yes |metric first = Yes |Jan high C = 26.3 |Feb high C = 25.8 |Mar high C = 25.8 |Apr high C = 24.7 |May high C = 22.9 |Jun high C = 20.6 |Jul high C = 20.5 |Aug high C = 23.3 |Sep high C = 26.8 |Oct high C = 28.3 |Nov high C = 27.4 |Dec high C = 26.3 |year high C = 24.9 |Jan low C = 15.3 |Feb low C = 15.1 |Mar low C = 13.8 |Apr low C = 11.3 |May low C = 7.6 |Jun low C = 4.9 |Jul low C = 4.5 |Aug low C = 6.5 |Sep low C = 10.0 |Oct low C = 13.1 |Nov low C = 14.5 |Dec low C = 15.1 |year low C = 11.0 |rain colour = green |Jan rain mm = 139.1 |Feb rain mm = 124.8 |Mar rain mm = 55.9 |Apr rain mm = 29.0 |May rain mm = 7.7 |Jun rain mm = 1.9 |Jul rain mm = 1.0 |Aug rain mm = 1.9 |Sep rain mm = 9.3 |Oct rain mm = 35.1 |Nov rain mm = 96.2 |Dec rain mm = 159.4 |year rain mm = 661.3 |unit rain days = |Jan rain days = 12 |Feb rain days = 10 |Mar rain days = 7 |Apr rain days = 3 |May rain days = 1 |Jun rain days = 1 |Jul rain days = 0 |Aug rain days = 0 |Sep rain days = 1 |Oct rain days = 4 |Nov rain days = 9 |Dec rain days = 12 |year rain days = 60 |source 1 = [[World Meteorological Organization]]<ref name= WMO>{{cite web | url = http://worldweather.wmo.int/en/city.html?cityId=953 | title = World Weather Information Service – Gweru | publisher = World Meteorological Organization | access-date = 25 October 2015}}</ref> |date=October 2015 }} == Demographics == {{Empty section|date=October 2019}} ==Nature and wildlife== In and around Gweru there are attractive places, some are man-made and some are natural. There is: * Antelope Park * White Waters * Insukamini Ruins {{Historical populations | 1936|2165 | 1941|5100 | 1946|7237 | 1951|9800 | 1960|27290 | 1969|36840 | 1974|51000 | 1978|66,000 | 1982|78918 | 1992|128037 | 2002|141260 | 2012|157865 }} == Economy == Situated along the road and railway between [[Harare]] and [[Bulawayo]] and near the rail spur to [[Maputo]], [[Mozambique]], Gweru has become a busy trade centre with modest industrial development. Its products include ferrochromium, textiles, dairy foods, leather, and building materials. The surrounding area, with its rich deposits of gold, chrome, iron, asbestos, and limestone, supports a number of mines. The training section of Zimbabwe's air force is in Gweru at the [[Gweru-Thornhill Air Base]]. The city is also known for vibrant farming activities in cattle ranching, and farming including, commercial gardening of crops for the export market. The country's oldest shoe manufacturer, the Bata Shoe Company and the Military and Aviation Museums are also some key features for which Gweru is well known.<ref name=":1" /> == Culture == The Boggie clock tower, located at the intersection of Main Street and Robert Mugabe Way, was built in 1928 in memory of Major William James Boggie. The clock tower is one of the city's most famous landmarks.<ref name=":0" /> The [[Nalatale]] and [[Danamombe]] archaeological sites lie approximately 70 and 85 km to the southwest, the known for their patterned stonework. The remains at these sites date back to as early as the Torwa state during the 17th century, the most substantial being a four hundred-year-old stone wall decorated with motifs known to the tradition of stone-building in Zimbabwe. The surrounding area has rich deposits of gold, chrome, iron, asbestos and platinum and supports several mines.<ref name=":0" /> === Tourism === The main hotel in the city is the Midlands Hotel, which was opened in 1927 by the Meikles brothers. This hotel was to be demolished but after many protests by the population it was saved. Another important hotel is the Chitukuko (formerly the Hotel Cecil), located in the downtown area of the city. Both hotels were owned by [[Patrick Kombayi]], a former mayor. The Fairmile Motel is just one mile from the city center on the Bulawayo highway . ===Sports and stadia=== ==== Soccer ==== * '''Chapungu''' Football Club As of 2025, [[TelOne F.C.|TelOne]] play in the [[Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League|Zimbabwe Premier League Soccer League]] (ZPSL) at the Bata Stadium.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mahlahla |first=Justin |date=2025-01-22 |title=TelOne FC ups preparations ahead of 2025 PSL season |url=https://www.zbcnews.co.zw/telone-fc-ups-preparations-ahead-of-2025-psl-season/ |access-date=2025-04-25 |website=ZBC NEWS |language=en-ZA}}</ref> Chapungu F.C was nicknamed Waru Waru and previously played in the ZPSL. Its home was the [[Ascot Stadium]]. There is also Gweru Sports club which has grounds for rugby, bowling and cricket. == Government and politics == {{Empty section|date=October 2019}} == Education == === Primary education === '''Group A''' *Cecil John Rhodes School *Lundi Park School *Riverside School *Stanley School *Bata Primary School *Anderson Adventist Primary School (private) *Lingfield Academy (private) *[[Midlands Christian School]] (private) '''Group B''' *Airforce Thornhill Primary School *Bumburwi School *Chikumbiro School *Matongo School *Mkoba 4 Primary School *Mpumelelo Primary School *Muwunga School *Sandara School *Senga Primary School *Takunda Primary School *Takwirira Primary School *St. Michael's Primary School (Catholic) *St. Paul's School (Catholic) === Secondary education === '''Group A''' * Sacred Heart College *[[Chaplin High School]] *Guinea Fowl High School *Nashville Secondary School *[[Thornhill High School]] *Anderson Adventist High School (private) *[[Lingfield Christian Academy]] (private) *[[Midlands Christian College]] (private) '''Group B''' * Ascot Secondary School * [[Fletcher High School, Gweru|Fletcher High School]] * Mambo High School * Matinunura High school * Mkoba 1 High School * Mkoba 3 High School * Senka Secondary School === Tertiary education === * Ambassador College * Central Africa Correspondence College * Commercial Studies Centre * Educare College *[[Gweru Polytechnic Institute]] *[[Herentals College]] *[[International Correspondence Schools]] * Kaguvi National Technical College * [[Mkoba Teachers College]] * Midlands Christian Training Centre * [[Midlands State University]] * Rapid Results College * Senka Technical Training Centre * Solars College * TopFlight Secretarial College * Zimbabwe Distance Education College *[[Zimbabwe Open University]] *Mount Hermon Theological Seminary ==== Defunct colleges and universities ==== * Midlands College of Commerce (closed 1994) == Media == Gweru's local newspaper, ''The Gweru Times'', once ceased publishing in 2015 but now operational. == Industry == {{citation needed section|date=April 2025}} Gweru was famous for housing big companies that are no longer operating, and which left thousands of employees jobless. There is hope that future big SME companies will make up for the loss in economic activity created by this situation. These big companies were previously housed in and around Gweru. Below is the list of these companies grouped according to size and type of the industry. The companies that previously flourished in Gweru were [[Bata Corporation|Bata Shoe Company]], ZimGlass, ZimCast, ZimAlloys, [[Delta Corporation]], Anchor Yeast. Today most of their previous premises are derelict and are a painful reminder of a vibrant industrial city that Gweru once was. However, [[Midlands State University]] is a recent feature of Gweru which has pushed the city to seek positive recognition as an education centre. ==Transportation== ===Railway=== Railways arrived in Gwelo (Gweru) in 1902. [[National Railways of Zimbabwe]] have the country's largest marshalling yard, [[Dabuka]], on the south side of Gweru. Dabuka plays a pivotal role in rail movement in the country as it is the central hub of the rail links to Mozambique in the east, South Africa in the south and Botswana and Namibia in the south west, lying on the [[Beira–Bulawayo railway]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century African History |editor1= Paul Tiyambe Zeleza |editor2= Dickson Eyoh |publisher=Routledge |isbn=0415234794 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qjolgQhpFtoC |year=2003 |chapter= Bulawayo, Zimbabwe |author= Mlambo, Alois}}</ref> Gwelo was once home to the [[Gwelo & District Light Railway]], a [[2 ft and 600 mm gauge railways|2 ft gauge]] steam for pleasure railway. ===Roads=== As a central city (hub), it has direct links to all the other cities and towns of Zimbabwe. It is 164 km from Bulawayo, 183 km from Masvingo, 471 km from Beitbridge, and 275 km from Harare. Road names used are by destination only, for example the Harare-Bulawayo Road. There are only mainroads, no highways or freeways.<ref>The Automobile Association of Zimbabwe</ref> == Notable people == {{See also|Category:People from Gweru}} * [[Brendan Ashby]], Olympic swimmer * [[Patient Charumbira]], cricketer * [[Shimmer Chinodya]], writer * [[Edmore Chirambadare]], footballer * [[Gerald B. Clarke]], [[Rhodesia]]n politician * [[Malcolm Grainger]], cricketer * [[Gregg Haakonsen]], cricketer * [[Mandy Loots]], Olympic swimmer * [[Orlando Lourenco]], tennis player * [[Paddington Mhondoro]], cricketer * [[Energy Murambadoro]], footballer * [[Kudakwashe Musharu]], footballer * [[Luther Mutyambizi]], cricketer * [[Christopher Muzvuru]], [[Irish Guards]] [[Bagpipes|piper]] * [[Welshman Ncube]], politician * [[Rudolf Nyandoro]], Roman Catholic bishop * [[David Pocock]], [[Australia national rugby union team|Australia international]] rugby union player and politician * [[Ray Reed]], racing driver * [[Nkululeko Mkastos Sibanda]], politician * [[Alec Smith]], [[Rhodesian Army]] chaplain, son of [[Ian Smith]] * [[Thomas Sweswe]], footballer * [[Gary Teichmann]], [[South Africa national rugby union team|South Africa international]] rugby union player ==Sister cities== *{{flagicon|UK}} [[Basildon]], England, United Kingdom<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.international.lga.gov.uk/international/Establishing_a_partnership/twinning_db.html |title=Local Government International Bureau (LGIB) Database of "Twinning Towns |access-date=16 April 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070427092953/http://international.lga.gov.uk/international/Establishing_a_partnership/twinning_db.html |archive-date=27 April 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> *{{flagicon|USA}} [[Manchester, New Hampshire|Manchester]], United States *{{flagicon|NAM}} [[Tsumeb]], Namibia == See also == * [[List of cities and towns in Zimbabwe]] ==References== {{reflist}} {{Gweru District}} {{Geography of Zimbabwe}} {{Authority control}} [[Category:Gweru| ]] [[Category:Gweru District]] [[Category:Populated places in Midlands Province]] [[Category:Provincial capitals in Zimbabwe]] [[Category:Populated places established in 1894]]
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