Manicaland Province

Not to be confused with Manica Province.
Manicaland
Province
Nickname: 
kumakomoyo (to those mountain)
Manicaland, Province of Zimbabwe
Manicaland, Province of Zimbabwe
CountryZimbabwe
Manicaland1897
CapitalMutare
Government
 • TypeProvincial Ministry
 • Minister of State for Provincial AffairsNokuthula Matsikinyere[1] (ZANU-PF)
 • Provincial AdministratorFungai Mbetsa [2]
 • Provincial Affairs Directornot known
Area
 • Total36,459 km2 (14,076.899 sq mi)
Highest elevation
2,592 m (8,504 ft)
Population
 (2022)
 • Total2,037,762[3]
 • Estimate 
(2023)
2,098,110
DemonymVekuMakomoyo (those from mountainous area)
Time zoneUTC+02:00 (CAT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+01:00 (CAT)
HDI (2021)0.583[4]
low · 6th

Manicaland is a province in eastern Zimbabwe. After Harare Province, it is the country's second-most populous province, with a population of 2.037 million, as of the 2022 census. Making it the third most densely populated province after Harare and Bulawayo provinces. Manicaland was one of five original provinces established in Southern Rhodesia in the early colonial period. The province endowed with country's major tourist attractions, the likes of Mutarazi Falls, Nyanga National Park and Zimbabwe's top three highest peaks. The province is divided into ten administrative subdivisions of seven rural districts and three towns/councils, including the provincial capital, Mutare. The name Manicaland is derived from one of the province's largest ethnic groups, the Manyika, who originate from the area north of the Manicaland province and as well as western Mozambique, who speak a distinct language called ChiManyika in Shona (one of the dialect of the Shona language).

Manicaland is bordered by Mashonaland East Province to the northwest, Midlands Province to the west, Masvingo Province to the southwest, and Mozambique to the east. It has an area of 36,459 square kilometres (14,077 sq mi),[5] equal to 9.28% of the total area of Zimbabwe. It is the sixth-largest in area of Zimbabwe's ten provinces. Its economy is largely centered around industry and agriculture, particularly manufacturing, diamond and gold mining, timber, tea and coffee plantations, and tourism.[6] In recent years, Manicaland's economy has declined as manufacturing firms and mines continue to fold,[6] and the province now lags behind other Zimbabwean provinces economically and developmentally.[7]

Recent developments in the province are noted mainly in Bocha area where several major infrastructural projects are underway. The province is one heavily underdeveloped areas in the country, on top of that, its economy is one the worst mainly due to Zezuru-Korekore supremacy agenda which was pushed by former president Robert Gabriel Mugabe[8] It is noticeable like in this instance despite the fact it hubs largest rural population, second largest population by province and country third largest city, it is among last 5 developed provinces and does not have an international airport which in turn restricts its growth. It is the home of Zimbabwean tourism alongside Matebeleland North but international tourists does not have direct access, they have to come via Harare where there is an international airport. Diamonds were first discovered in country in Chiadzwa area in Bocha but several years down the line, the area have not benefited anything from the discovery.[9] Penalonga is where illegal gold extraction is done, but instead of Manicaland benefiting, the resources are being looted by Scott Sakupwanya's company and several top government officials.[10]

  1. ^ https://www.herald.co.zw/5-new-provincial-affairs-ministers-appointed/amp/ [bare URL]
  2. ^ https://zw.linkedin.com/in/fungai-mbetsa-89b59944 [bare URL]
  3. ^ "Population Census National Report 2022" (PDF). Zimbabwe National Statistics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 January 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  4. ^ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  5. ^ Surface Area of Manicaland District Archived 2013-12-17 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ a b Matimaire, Kenneth (2017-03-23). "Manicaland industries collapse". The Financial Gazette. Retrieved 2018-06-15.
  7. ^ Zimunya, Itai (2012-11-18). "Manicaland is also for devolution". The Standard. Retrieved 2018-06-15.
  8. ^ "Karangas crush Zezuru-Korekore Alliance again". Bulawayo24 News. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  9. ^ "Chiadzwa villagers cry foul | Business Times". businesstimes.co.zw. 2022-11-10. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  10. ^ Unit, Al Jazeera Investigative. "Six secrets uncovered by Al Jazeera's Gold Mafia investigation". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2023-09-13.