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Mbizo
Township, suburb
Woman selling meat, one of the many trades in the town.
Woman selling meat, one of the many trades in the town.
Map
Interactive map of Mbizo
Coordinates: 18°55′S 29°49′E / 18.917°S 29.817°E / -18.917; 29.817
CountryZimbabwe
ProvinceMidlands
DistrictKwekwe
Establishedlate 19th Century
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (CEST)

Mbizo is a suburb in Kwekwe, a city in the Midlands Province of Zimbabwe. Alongside Amaveni, it is one of Kwekwe's two high density suburbs.[1] As of October 2024, it had a population of approximately 50,000.[1][clarification needed]

Layout

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Mbizo is divided into several sections, numbered from Mbizo 1 up to Mbizo 22.[1][2] Mbizo 1 and 2 form the oldest part of the suburb, which were originally built to house cheap labour for the gold mines in up town.[citation needed]

The neighborhood is located east of the city centre, across the railway line from the Zimbabwe Iron and Smelting Company (ZIMASCO), the country's largest ferrochrome producer. Mbizo Stadium is located across from Section 1. Nearby, Manunure High School sprawls in a meadow across the street from Section 2.[citation needed]

Mbizo contains 3 of the city's 5 city-run clinics,[3] and the city's only youth centre.[1]

History

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The suburb, like all of Zimbabwe's major towns and cities, was formerly a black only area, reserved for the poor African population that came to the town in search of jobs.[citation needed] Together with Amaveni, Mbizo supplied labour to the gold mines scattered across the growing town.[4][better source needed] Since Zimbabwe gained independence, the population of the suburb has increased dramatically,[clarification needed] with the suburb expanding from 2 to 22 sections.[citation needed]

Mbizo Stadium stampede

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On 21 November 2014, a stampede occurred at Mbizo Stadium, killing 11 and injuring 40 people.[5] Reuters reported that around 30,000 people attended a religious service officiated by Walter Magaya.[6] After the service, a large portion of the crowd attempted to leave the stadium using one exit. Four people died instantly in the ensuing stampede while seven more were pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.[6] The Indo-Asian News Service reported that the stampede was caused by police firing tear gas after some of the crowd attempted to break off parts of the stadium wall to exit,[5] while police said it was due to a "burst gas bottle".[7]

Politics

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Since 2000, when the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) competed in elections, there has been sporadic political violence in many parts of the ward. ZANU-PF militia units have been at the forefront of political violence in the township without police intervention. Members of the MDC have been kidnapped, have had their homes burnt, and have been otherwise persecuted by the Zimbabwe Republic Police.[clarification needed] Political violence in Mbizo was reported in 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, and 2008.[8][permanent dead link][needs update]

The successor party to the MDC, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), faced similar violence. In 2022, Zimbabwean police arrested 16 suspected ZANU-PF supporters over violence at a CCC rally in Mbizo which led to one death.[9][10][11]

Recreation

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Mbizo Stadium is a small stadium[12][permanent dead link] located in Mbizo 1 used for various activities, including hosting music concerts by popular artists like Alick Macheso, Simon Chimbetu, and Tongai Moyo. It has a capacity of about a thousand people.[citation needed]

Notable people

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  • Samukeliso Sithole, a teenager who won seven gold medals in women's athletics events in 2004, sentenced to jail for being a man impersonating a woman.[13][14][15][16][17]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Kwekwe City Master Plan: Written Statement" (PDF). kwekwecity.org.zw. October 2024.
  2. ^ "Mbizo 22 Project (Press Release)". Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe. Archived from the original on 25 March 2026.
  3. ^ "Health and Environmental Services". kwekwecity.org.zw. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  4. ^ "Health-promoting food and waste management systems in Kwekwe City: Turning waste into assets" (PDF). equinetafrica.org. January 2024.
  5. ^ a b IANS (21 November 2014). "11 killed in Zimbabwe stadium stampede". Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  6. ^ a b "Zimbabwe stadium church service stampede kills 11: police". Yahoo News. 21 November 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  7. ^ "'Burst gas bottle caused Mbizo Stadium stampede'". NewsDay Zimbabwe. 24 November 2014. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  8. ^ "Police Brutality condemned". Harare Tribune. Retrieved 19 January 2008.
  9. ^ "Police arrest 16 over Kwekwe CCC rally violence". The Zimbabwean. 28 February 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  10. ^ "Police Confirm Zanu Pf Stalwarts Murdered CCC Supporters". ZimEye. 28 February 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  11. ^ "CCC Mbizo MP dedicates by-election victory to slain Chamisa supporter". New Zimbabwe. 24 May 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  12. ^ "Dembare in Friendlies". Zimbabwe NewsNet. Retrieved 11 February 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ "Male Zimbabwe athlete competed as a female". NewZimbabwe.com. Archived from the original on 21 December 2007. Retrieved 19 January 2008.
  14. ^ "Zimbabwe sex row athlete jailed". BBC. 14 July 2005. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  15. ^ Wines, Michael (10 February 2005). "A Woman? A Man? Whatever, a Star Athlete in Zimbabwe". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  16. ^ Netsianda, Mashudu (24 June 2015). "Sex cheat athlete killer jailed". Nehanda Radio. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  17. ^ "Top gay athlete Samukeliso Sithole murdered". Bulawayo24 News. Retrieved 25 March 2026.


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