Buhera District


Buhera District is a district in Manicaland Province, Zimbabwe.

Geography

The district is located in Manicaland Province, in southeastern Zimbabwe. It is bordered by Chikomba District and Wedza District to the north, both in Mashonaland East Province. To the northeast lies Makoni District and Mutare District lies to the east. Chimanimani District and Chipinge District lie to the southeast. Gutu District in Masvingo Province lies to the south and west of Buhera District. The district's main town, Buhera, is located approximately, by road, southwest of Mutare, the location of the provincial headquarters. Key towns include Buhera, Murambinda, Nyashanu and Dorowa.
The Save River forms the eastern and northeastern boundary of the district with Chipinge, Chimanimani, and Mutasa districts. The Devuli River, a tributary of the Save, forms the southeastern boundary.

Overview

Buhera District is a rural district. The local economy depends mainly on farming. The main crops are: maize, millet, roundnuts and groundnuts. Cattle ranching is also practiced in the district. Although the rains are not very reliable, the area is fertile with several irrigation schemes for the populace to supplement their meager harvests. However the schemes are now in sorry state due to government neglect. The ranching and wildlife make life enjoyable and fruitful. The largest employer in the district is Dorowa Minerals, a phosphate mine, which employs about 300 people.

Administration

The district is divided into 33 administrative wards.
Buhera is divided into four National Assembly parliamentary constituencies: Buhera Central, Buhera North, Buhera South, and Buhera West. The district is a single Senate consitituency.

History

The name Buhera is a Nguninised, then Anglicised version of the name uHera. uHera means territory of the Hera and is reference to the fact that the Hera ethnic group of the Shona lived in the area and in neighbouring Chikomba District. The vaHera of the Museyamwa totem occupy most of the Buhera territory and much of neighbouring Chikomba.
The Va Hera are of the Shona tribe and claim that they came from Guruuswa, which has been identified as an area north of the Zambezi River, perhaps around Uganda or South Sudan. was a major staging point for ZANLA liberation forces, during the Second Chimurenga War.

Population

During the 2012 district census, the population of the district was estimated at 245,878. The majority of the district residents are subsistence farmers, through a communal land system administered by the local chiefs. There are two designated urban areas in the district, namely; Murambinda and Birchenough Bridge.

Education

The district has a total of 140 primary schools and 55 secondary schools in 2004. Some of the notable schools in the area include: Nyashanu High School and Makumbe High School, both named after chiefs.

Notable people

The notable people associated with the district include the following: