Chitungwiza

Chitungwiza is the third largest urban area in Zimbabwe. It is found in the Harare Province of Zimbabwe and sits close to the city of Harare. This town is an important place for many people who live and work in the area.

History

Chitungwiza is a busy town with 371,244 people as counted in 2022. Two big roads, Seke road and Chitungwiza road, connect it to the city of Harare. There is also a place called the Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex that was built in 1995 for the All Africa Games, but it is no longer used for swimming. Now, it is sometimes used for music and church events.

Informal settlements

After a civil war, many people moved from the countryside to cities like Chitungwiza. In 1979, a place called Chirambahuyo had about 30,000 people living there without permission. In 1982, the government tore down Chirambahuyo, and the people moved to other areas like Mayambara.

In 2005, a government action called Operation Murambatsvina destroyed many slum areas in Chitungwiza. By the mid-2010s, more and more people were living in informal settlements. In 2020, plans to tear down homes in places like Nyatsime, Seke, St Mary’s, and Zengeza were stopped because a court asked for an order.

civil war Rural-urban migration squatted Operation Murambatsvina informal settlements

Notable people

Chitungwiza is the home of the musician Maskiri. In 2019 and 2020, Dr. Tonderai Kasu worked as the acting town clerk there. Another well-known person from Chitungwiza is Alick Macheso.