Mutasa (District)
Encyclopedia
Mutasa District is one of seven districts in the Manicaland
province of Zimbabwe
. Mutasa district is located 30 km from Mutare
and stretches up to the Honde Valley
which is about 100 km northeast of Mutare
along a tarred road which branches off the Nyanga
road.
and stretches up to the Honde Valley
which is about 100 km northeast of Mutare
along a tarred road which branches off the Nyanga
road.
Province, Mutasa District has better infrastructure.
– Nyanga
A15 highway and the Selbourne to Honde Valley
road. During the rainy season some parts of the district are inaccessible by road due to the bad state of roads. The district council does not have the capacity to maintain gravel roads, hence the District Development Fund
(DDF) is now maintaining most of the gravel roads. In Honde Valley
some areas are only accessible only by four-wheel-drive enabled vehicles due to the terrain.
and Nyawamba Dam. Pungwe – Mutare
pipeline also pass through the district and the district benefits from water points along the route. In Honde Valley
, water supplied from by a number of small piped systems and motorised pumps serving small towns, growth points, commercial plantations, service centres and some villages, as well as direct abstractions from the rivers by riparian village communities not connected to developed installations.
and Mutasa South
and the PMs are Trevor Saruwaka, David Anthony Chimhini
] and Misheck Kagurabadza
respectively.
’s public health care is delivered at four levels which are meant to function as a referral chain. The first level is the primary level consisting of Rural Health Centres, Rural Hospitals and Urban Clinics (services do not require an attending Physician). The second level is the first referral level consisting of District Hospitals. The third level is the second referral level consisting of Provincial and General Hospitals. The fourth and final level is the third referral level to Central and Special Hospitals.
Most of the health care facilities in the district are owned and run by the government's Ministry of Health and Child Welfare although local communities are involved in the management of some clinics. The main referral hospitals are Hauna Hospital and Bonda Mission Hospital. There are several poly-clinics in the district that offer primary health care to people from the villages in the district. In recent years as the economy of Zimbabwe
has declined, there has been a shortage of drugs and equipment at the hospitals although staffing levels by end of 2010 had improved. Communities also rely heavily on traditional medicines. The major diseases that affect the people in the district include Diarrhea
, TB
and Malaria
.
pandemic is seriously affecting the district. However there has been a decrease of reported HIV prevalence rate in the past decade.
Manicaland
Manicaland is a province of Zimbabwe. It has an area of and a population of approximately 1.6 million . Mutare is the capital of the province. -Background:...
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...
. Mutasa district is located 30 km from Mutare
Mutare
Mutare is the fourth largest city in Zimbabwe, with a population of around 170,000. It is the capital of Manicaland province.-History:...
and stretches up to the Honde Valley
Honde Valley
The Honde Valley extends from the eastern border of Zimbabwe into Mozambique. The valley is formed as part of the Eastern Highlands mountain range. The Valley is about 130km from Mutare, or 110km from Nyanga. Mount Inyangani and the Nyanga National Park forms the western boundary of the...
which is about 100 km northeast of Mutare
Mutare
Mutare is the fourth largest city in Zimbabwe, with a population of around 170,000. It is the capital of Manicaland province.-History:...
along a tarred road which branches off the Nyanga
Nyanga
Nyanga may mean:*Nyanga Province, of Gabon*Nyanga, Gabon, a place in the province of Nyanga in Gabon*Nyanga River, in Gabon and Congo*Nyanga, Zimbabwe, a town*Nyanga National Park in Zimbabwe*Nyanga, Cape Town, a township in South Africa...
road.
Population
Mutasa District has 27 wards and a total population of 167 462 with 39 847 households.Location
Mutasa district is located 30 km from MutareMutare
Mutare is the fourth largest city in Zimbabwe, with a population of around 170,000. It is the capital of Manicaland province.-History:...
and stretches up to the Honde Valley
Honde Valley
The Honde Valley extends from the eastern border of Zimbabwe into Mozambique. The valley is formed as part of the Eastern Highlands mountain range. The Valley is about 130km from Mutare, or 110km from Nyanga. Mount Inyangani and the Nyanga National Park forms the western boundary of the...
which is about 100 km northeast of Mutare
Mutare
Mutare is the fourth largest city in Zimbabwe, with a population of around 170,000. It is the capital of Manicaland province.-History:...
along a tarred road which branches off the Nyanga
Nyanga
Nyanga may mean:*Nyanga Province, of Gabon*Nyanga, Gabon, a place in the province of Nyanga in Gabon*Nyanga River, in Gabon and Congo*Nyanga, Zimbabwe, a town*Nyanga National Park in Zimbabwe*Nyanga, Cape Town, a township in South Africa...
road.
Economy
Mutasa District economy has agro-based. Villagers practice semi-commercial agriculture. And the district has several plantations and estates which provide employment. Villages raise cattle, goats and chicken. And they grow maize, groundnuts, sugarcane etc and have plantations for fruit trees in the fields. Some of the villages are small holder growers of coffee, tea and banana plantations. Large scale commercial plantations produces timber, coffee and tea estates.Infrastructure Development
Compared with other district in ManicalandManicaland
Manicaland is a province of Zimbabwe. It has an area of and a population of approximately 1.6 million . Mutare is the capital of the province. -Background:...
Province, Mutasa District has better infrastructure.
Road network
The district is serviced by a network of surfaced and gravel roads. The main highways are the MutareMutare
Mutare is the fourth largest city in Zimbabwe, with a population of around 170,000. It is the capital of Manicaland province.-History:...
– Nyanga
Nyanga
Nyanga may mean:*Nyanga Province, of Gabon*Nyanga, Gabon, a place in the province of Nyanga in Gabon*Nyanga River, in Gabon and Congo*Nyanga, Zimbabwe, a town*Nyanga National Park in Zimbabwe*Nyanga, Cape Town, a township in South Africa...
A15 highway and the Selbourne to Honde Valley
Honde Valley
The Honde Valley extends from the eastern border of Zimbabwe into Mozambique. The valley is formed as part of the Eastern Highlands mountain range. The Valley is about 130km from Mutare, or 110km from Nyanga. Mount Inyangani and the Nyanga National Park forms the western boundary of the...
road. During the rainy season some parts of the district are inaccessible by road due to the bad state of roads. The district council does not have the capacity to maintain gravel roads, hence the District Development Fund
District Development Fund
The District Development Fund, or DDF, is a Zimbabwe government agency within the Ministry of Rural Resources and Water Development that is charged with the responsibility of providing and maintaining rural infrastructure within the Communal, Resettlement and Small Scale Commercial Farming areas of...
(DDF) is now maintaining most of the gravel roads. In Honde Valley
Honde Valley
The Honde Valley extends from the eastern border of Zimbabwe into Mozambique. The valley is formed as part of the Eastern Highlands mountain range. The Valley is about 130km from Mutare, or 110km from Nyanga. Mount Inyangani and the Nyanga National Park forms the western boundary of the...
some areas are only accessible only by four-wheel-drive enabled vehicles due to the terrain.
Communication Technology
Most of the district is covered by wireless or cell phone networks, although mountainous areas of the district have poor reception. Land telephone lines connect most of the business centres throughout the district. Villages and business centers with telephone services have access to the internet.Dams and Water Infrastructure
Mutasa district is in the Highveld, receiving high rainfall, hence there are a number of small to large dams in the district, the major ones being Osborne DamOsborne Dam
The Osborne Dam site on the Odzi River, Zimbabwe, was identified in the 1950s by the planning engineers of the Ministry of Water. Cored drilling investigations on the two possible alignments were completed in the 1960s...
and Nyawamba Dam. Pungwe – Mutare
Mutare
Mutare is the fourth largest city in Zimbabwe, with a population of around 170,000. It is the capital of Manicaland province.-History:...
pipeline also pass through the district and the district benefits from water points along the route. In Honde Valley
Honde Valley
The Honde Valley extends from the eastern border of Zimbabwe into Mozambique. The valley is formed as part of the Eastern Highlands mountain range. The Valley is about 130km from Mutare, or 110km from Nyanga. Mount Inyangani and the Nyanga National Park forms the western boundary of the...
, water supplied from by a number of small piped systems and motorised pumps serving small towns, growth points, commercial plantations, service centres and some villages, as well as direct abstractions from the rivers by riparian village communities not connected to developed installations.
Sanitation
Up to 90% of the population has Blair pit latrine and the rest have water-borne sewer system. Most of the Blair Pit latrines were constructed after independence in 1980.Government and politics
Mutasa District is divided into three constituencies Mutasa Central, Mutasa NorthMutasa North
Mutasa North is a constituency of Zimbabwe. It belongs to the province of Manicaland.In the 2005 general election the candidate of the Zanu PF was declared the winner, with an overall majority. This was in contrast to the fact that the candidate of the MDC polled an overall majority. In 2008 David...
and Mutasa South
Mutasa South
Mutasa South is a constituency of Zimbabwe. It belongs to the province of Manicaland.In the 2005 general election the candidate of the Zanu PF was declared the winner. This was in contrast to the fact that the candidate of the MDC polled an overall majority....
and the PMs are Trevor Saruwaka, David Anthony Chimhini
David Anthony Chimhini
Hon. David Anthony Chimhini was born on 10 June 1950 in Mutasa and is the MP for Mutasa North in Manicaland province, Zimbabwe.He attended Nyanga High school, Marist Brothers for his high school education. Hon Chimhini then proceeded to Kutama College where he qualified as a teacher. Hon...
] and Misheck Kagurabadza
Misheck Kagurabadza
Misheck Kagurabadza is a businessman and former mayor of Mutare, Zimbabwe, and is the MDC-Tsvangirai member of the house of assembly for the parliamentary constituency of Mutasa South.-References:...
respectively.
Primary Schools
- Sagambe Primary School
- Chavhanga Primary School
- Pachije St Stephen Primary
- Chikomba Primary School
- Chisuko Primary School
- Aberfoyle Primary School
- Estern Highlands Primary Schools
- Katiyo Primary School
- Nyamhingura Primary School
- Muterere Primary School
- Zindi Primary School
- St James Haparari Primary School
- Vumbunu Primary School
- Sherukuru Primary School
- Pimayi Primary School
Secondary Schools
- Sagambe Secondary School
- Chavhanga Secondary School
- Chisuko Secondary School
- Muterere Secondary School
- Zindi Secondary School
- St Columbus Secondary School
- Nyamhingura Secondary
- St Mathias Tsonzo Secondary School
- St James Zongoro Secondary School
- Mwoyoweshumba Secondary School
- Nyakatsapa High School
- Gatsi Secondary School
- Nyatsanza
- Sahumani
- Chitombo
- Pafiwa Mutasa
Health care
ZimbabweZimbabwe
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 public health care is delivered at four levels which are meant to function as a referral chain. The first level is the primary level consisting of Rural Health Centres, Rural Hospitals and Urban Clinics (services do not require an attending Physician). The second level is the first referral level consisting of District Hospitals. The third level is the second referral level consisting of Provincial and General Hospitals. The fourth and final level is the third referral level to Central and Special Hospitals.
Most of the health care facilities in the district are owned and run by the government's Ministry of Health and Child Welfare although local communities are involved in the management of some clinics. The main referral hospitals are Hauna Hospital and Bonda Mission Hospital. There are several poly-clinics in the district that offer primary health care to people from the villages in the district. In recent years as the economy 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...
has declined, there has been a shortage of drugs and equipment at the hospitals although staffing levels by end of 2010 had improved. Communities also rely heavily on traditional medicines. The major diseases that affect the people in the district include Diarrhea
Diarrhea
Diarrhea , also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having three or more loose or liquid bowel movements per day. It is a common cause of death in developing countries and the second most common cause of infant deaths worldwide. The loss of fluids through diarrhea can cause dehydration and...
, TB
TB
-Music:*Tenor and bass, a score for male chorus*The Beatles, the English rock band, the most lauded and successful group in the history of modern music**The Beatles , the tenth album by the above band, also known as the White Album...
and Malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
.
HIV/AIDS
Like the rest of the country, the HIV/AIDSHIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe
Recent estimates from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS indicate that approximately 1.6 million adults 15 years and older were living with HIV/AIDS in 2005...
pandemic is seriously affecting the district. However there has been a decrease of reported HIV prevalence rate in the past decade.
Tourist Attractions
- Mahwemasimike
- Muratazi Falls
- Pungwe RiverPungwe RiverPungwe River is a 400 km long river in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It rises below Mount Nyangani in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe and then flows eastward through the Manica and Sofala provinces of Mozambique. It then empties to the Mozambique Channel in Beira, forming a large estuary...
white water rafting
Prominent People from Mutasa
- Oppah Muchinguri
- Didymus MutasaDidymus MutasaDidymus Noel Edwin Mutasa is a Zimbabwean politician, currently serving as the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and as the Secretary for Administration of ZANU-PF.-Family background:...
- Patrick ChinamasaPatrick ChinamasaPatrick Antony Chinamasa is a Zimbabwean politician, currently serving as the Minister of Justice.-Career:A leading member of the ruling ZANU-PF party, Chinamasa became first deputy Agriculture Minister, and then Attorney General of Zimbabwe; he also holds the role of Leader of the Zimbabwean...
- Trevor Saruwaka
- David Anthony ChimhiniDavid Anthony ChimhiniHon. David Anthony Chimhini was born on 10 June 1950 in Mutasa and is the MP for Mutasa North in Manicaland province, Zimbabwe.He attended Nyanga High school, Marist Brothers for his high school education. Hon Chimhini then proceeded to Kutama College where he qualified as a teacher. Hon...
- Misheck KagurabadzaMisheck KagurabadzaMisheck Kagurabadza is a businessman and former mayor of Mutare, Zimbabwe, and is the MDC-Tsvangirai member of the house of assembly for the parliamentary constituency of Mutasa South.-References:...
Notable Places
- HaunaHaunaHauna is a village in the province of Manicaland, Zimbabwe located in the Honde Valley communal land about 55 km north of Mutare.It is the Growth Point Centre for Mutasa District in Manicaland. Hauna growth point is in Samanga B ward of Mutasa District and has a population of about 8,000. ...
- Osborne DamOsborne DamThe Osborne Dam site on the Odzi River, Zimbabwe, was identified in the 1950s by the planning engineers of the Ministry of Water. Cored drilling investigations on the two possible alignments were completed in the 1960s...
- Zindi Village
- Pungwe RiverPungwe RiverPungwe River is a 400 km long river in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It rises below Mount Nyangani in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe and then flows eastward through the Manica and Sofala provinces of Mozambique. It then empties to the Mozambique Channel in Beira, forming a large estuary...
- Honde ValleyHonde ValleyThe Honde Valley extends from the eastern border of Zimbabwe into Mozambique. The valley is formed as part of the Eastern Highlands mountain range. The Valley is about 130km from Mutare, or 110km from Nyanga. Mount Inyangani and the Nyanga National Park forms the western boundary of the...