By Correspondent
Chitungwiza is a town located in Zimbabwe’s Mashonaland East province.
It is known for being home to a rich culture and ancestral traditions, as well as its vibrant artistic and musical scene.
Below we run down some peculiar facts about the town.
1- Chitungwiza’s story started in the late 19th century as a small settlement known as Seke.
The town proper was formed in 1978.
Today it has seven districts which are: Unit A- Z without I,R.S T ,V,Z; Zengeza 1- 6 and Seke 1-8.
2- Chitungwiza is home to the grave of Chaminuka a leading Prophet And spirit medium who lived in the 19th century.
3- The town was formerly known as Dungwiza, named after a Svikiro’s shrine (Dungwiza raChaminuka).
4-Chitungwiza is the youngest local authority in Zimbabwe and is located 25 kilometres southeast of Harare’s central business district.
5- Chitungwiza received full municipal status in 1981.
It is now the third largest and fastest growing urban centre in the country.
Arts and Tourism
6- The town has some very exciting recreational ad tourism sites to visit.
Across Harava dam is the Mbizi Game Park and the Kufunda Village, a popular agro-tourism facility.
Other entertainment spots in Chitungwiza include the Leisure Centre and the Dam View recreational areas, which are located on the banks of Hunyani River.
Visitors can also spend time at the popular Ziko, where they can have drinks and braai.
7- Chitungwiza has been celebrated as Zimbabwe’s Hollywood.
It has produced or groomed Zimbabwe’s creatives and creative industry from film, poets, musicians, entertainers, academia, media practitioners, sculptors and those involved in other visual arts.
8- The current metro area population of Chitungwiza in 2024 is 411,000, a 1.73% increase from 2023.
9- Chitungwiza Central Hospital, celebrated as a top class facility was finished in 1984.
It immediately opened its doors to the community on December 24 1984.
10- Famous people from Chitungwiza include John Chibadura(singerk, System Tazvida (singer), Maskiri (singer) and Perpetua Siyachitema (netball).
Tichaona Chipunza (footballer), Bernard Chidzero (former Finance Minister) and Fidelis Mhashu (former Minister for National Housing).
