Gutu District

Gutu
District
Chemukutu
Districts of Masvingo Province
Masvingo constituency seats for the 2008, showing the division of Gutu (District)
Country	Zimbabwe
Province	Masvingo
District	Gutu
Established	late 19th century
Area
• Total	7,054 km2 (2,724 sq mi)
Population  (2022 Census)[1]
• Total	208,149
• Density	30/km2 (76/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2 (CAT)
Climate	Cwb

Gutu is the third largest district in Masvingo Province, southern Zimbabwe, 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, "the one with a load of arrows". This is according to oral historical folklore 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 largest district service centre. It was designated as a "growth point" during the early years of independent Zimbabwe together with such places as Gokwe in the Midlands Province and Juru in Mashonaland East province. Mpandawana gained town status in April 2014.

It was home to the late Oliver Munyaradzi, Simon Muzenda, former vice president of Zimbabwe as well as Vitalis Zvinavashe, a Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and politician. Dr Costa Maonei, former District Medical Officer, comes from the southern tip of the District. The late Air Vice Marshal Josiah Tungamirai was also a native of Gutu. Nelson Chamisa, a politician and former president of the Citizens Coalition for Change also comes from Gutu. Gutu Mission Hospital found in the district, is one of a number of centers for HIV/AIDS treatment in the province.^[2] The population is mostly the Karanga, a Shona sub-tribe. It is one of a few districts in the province where the standard of living is above average.^{[citation needed]} Gutu Rural District council is in charge of the day-to-day running of the district.^{[citation needed]}