Kwekwe
Kwekwe is a town that is situated in the center of the country, roughly equidistant from Harare to the northeast and Bulawayo to the southwest. Kwekwe (known until 1983 as Que Que), is a city in central Zimbabwe. It is located in Kwekwe District, in Midlands Province
Population:
100,900 (Census 2012)
Province:
Midlands Province
Background:
Kwekwe town was founded in 1898 as a gold mining town, and hosts Zimbabwe’s National Mining Museum. The town remains an industrial centre of the country. The name stems from the Zulu word “isikwekwe”, which means “scurvy”, “mange” or “scab”. Popular belief states that Kwekwe is named after the croaking noise made by the nearby river’s frogs.
Geography:
The town is situated on Zimbabwe’s Highveld at an altitude of 1,220 metres, above sea level. It is located in the tropics but its high altitude modifies this to a warm temperate climate. The average annual temperature is 19 °C. As with much of the Highveld, summers are long but not hot as the temperature depends on the amount of cloudiness and indirectly the amount of rain received. Drought years are hotter than wet years. The climate is hot and wet during the summer rainy season from mid-November to mid-March, with cool, dry weather from May to mid-August in the winter season, and warm dry weather from August to mid-November. Winters are characterised mainly by their cold nights, with an average minimum temperature of 7 °C, and are the sunniest time of the year.
Industry
It is a centre for steel and fertilizer production in the country. Kwekwe and neighbouring Redcliff are the headquarters of Zimbabwe Iron and Steel Company (ZISCO), the country’s largest steelworks. It also hosts the Zimbabwe Iron and Smelting Company, the largest ferrochrome producer, and one of the biggest power processing plants, ZESA-Munyati. Kwekwe town was founded (spelt Que Que) in 1898 as a gold mining town, and hosts Zimbabwe’s National Mining Museum. The town remains an industrial centre of the country
Social
Kwe Kwe has always been a festive and social centre with warm inhabitants and a mild political atmosphere and is worth a short stopover if time allows.
Sport
Soccer and cricket are the main sports in the city, just as in the rest of the country. Kwekwe hosts one of Zimbabwe’s Major provincial cricket sides – Mid West Rhinos. Their cricket ground has been host to several first-class and one-day matches and has even hosted some internationals – most notably against Kenya. Kwekwe also hosts a variety of touring sides versus Zimbabwe ‘A’ teams. Kwekwe hosts two football (soccer) clubs, the Lancashire Steel (named after a local steel company) and Kwekwe Cables. The Kwekwe Queens Club is also a reputable sporting establishment, with a sizeable membership and drinking crowd. Lancashire Steel FC, the main team in the city has been in the PSL a number of times. At its home stadium, Baghdad Stadium, it has hosted a number of big teams in the country, including Dynamos FC, and Highlanders FC. Golf tournaments are hosted by Kwekwe Golf club.
The cricketer Charles Coventry also hails from Kwekwe -he is best known for equalling the ODI World Record of 194 runs in an innings.
Arts
Tongai Moyo and Bob Nyabinde are popular singers in the country who hails from Kwekwe. Kwekwe is a major stop for many music groups in the country who perform in the Mbizo Stadium.
