Matabeleland South is a

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...

in southwestern

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

. With a population of 683,893 as of the 2012 Zimbabwean census, it is the country's least populous province. After

Matabeleland North Matabeleland North is a Provinces of Zimbabwe, province in western Zimbabwe. With a population of 749,017 as of the Zimbabwean census, 2012, 2012 census, it is the country's second-least populous province, after Matabeleland South Province, Matab ...

, it is Zimbabwe's second-least densely populated province. Matabeleland South was established in 1974, when the original Matabeleland Province was divided into two provinces, the other being Matabeleland North. The province is divided into six districts.

Gwanda Gwanda is a town in Zimbabwe. It is the capital of the province of Matabeleland South, one of the ten administrative provinces in the country. It is also the district capital of Gwanda District, one of the seven administrative districts in ...

is the capital, and

Beitbridge Beitbridge is a border town in the province of Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe. The name also refers to the border post and bridge spanning the Limpopo River, which forms the political border between South Africa and Zimbabwe. The border on the S ...

is the province's largest town. The name "Matabeleland" is derived from

Ndebele Ndebele may refer to: *Southern Ndebele people, located in South Africa *Northern Ndebele people, located in Zimbabwe and Botswana Languages * Southern Ndebele language, the language of the South Ndebele *Northern Ndebele language Northern ...

, the province's largest ethnic group. Matabeleland South is bordered by Bulawayo and Matabeleland North to the north,

Midlands The Midlands (also referred to as Central England) are a part of England that broadly correspond to the Kingdom of Mercia of the Early Middle Ages, bordered by Wales, Northern England and Southern England. The Midlands were important in the Ind ...

to the northeast,

Masvingo Masvingo is a city in south-eastern Zimbabwe and the capital of Masvingo Province. The city is situated close to Great Zimbabwe, the national monument from which the country takes its name and close to Lake Mutirikwi, its recreational park, th ...

to the southeast,

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

to the south, and

Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label=Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahar ...

to the west. It has an area of , equal to 13.86% of the total area of Zimbabwe. It is the fourth-largest of the country's ten provinces in area. Matabeleland South sits on the edge of the

Kalahari Desert The Kalahari Desert is a large semi-arid sandy savanna in Southern Africa extending for , covering much of Botswana, and parts of Namibia and South Africa. It is not to be confused with the Angolan, Namibian, and South African Namib coastal de ...

, giving it an

arid A region is arid when it severely lacks available water, to the extent of hindering or preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life. Regions with arid climates tend to lack vegetation and are called xeric or desertic. Most ar ...

climate not hospitable to

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

. Economy Its economy is largely centered around

subsistence farming Subsistence agriculture occurs when farmers grow food crops to meet the needs of themselves and their families on smallholdings. Subsistence agriculturalists target farm output for survival and for mostly local requirements, with little or no su ...

and livestock farming. Droughts and a lack of economic opportunities have resulted in widespread poverty and migration out of the province. Transport The province has an important geographical location which can link Botswana to Malawi or South Africa to south Zambia through Bulawayo, but due to lack of investment, the old transport hub of the late 20th century lost its familiarity and use with these two countries.

Geography

The province sits on the edge of the

Kalahari The Kalahari Desert is a large semi-arid sandy savanna in Southern Africa extending for , covering much of Botswana, and parts of Namibia and South Africa. It is not to be confused with the Angolan, Namibian, and South African Namib coastal de ...

desert, hence it is arid and very dry. The province shares borders with South Africa and Botswana. As a result, there are Tswana, Sotho/Pedi, Venda, Shangani (Tsonga) and the Khoisan speaking people in the province. The other languages that are native in the province are Ndebele and Kalanga.

Towns and villages

Towns and villages in Matabeleland South include

Antelope Mine Antelope Mine is a village in the Kezi district of the province of Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe. It is located about 114 km south of Bulawayo and 14 km south of Kezi. The village was established in an area once rich in wildlife and was named afte ...

Brunapeg Brunapeg is a settlement in the Matabeleland South Province of Zimbabwe. It is one of the urban centres in Mangwe District, one of the seven administrative districts in the province. Location Brunapeg is located in the extreme south west of ...

Colleen Bawn Colleen Bawn is a town in Zimbabwe. Location Colleen Bawn is located in Gwanda District, in Matabeleland South Province, in southwest Zimbabwe. It is approximately , by road, east of Gwanda, the provincial and district headquarters. This is ...

Esigodini Esigodini, previously known as Essexvale, is a town in the Matabeleland South Province of Zimbabwe. It is the administrative centre for Umzingwane District, one of the seven administrative districts in Matabeleland South. It was originally an ...

Filabusi Filabusi is a town in the Matabeleland South Province of Zimbabwe. The town is the district capital of Insiza District and a service centre for the surrounding mining and farming areas. Location Filabusi lies off the Mbalabala–Mutare Road ...

Fort Rixon Fort Rixon is a village and farming centre in Matabeleland in the Republic of Zimbabwe, located some north-east of Bulawayo Bulawayo (, ; Ndebele: ''Bulawayo'') is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, and the largest city in the country's ...

Gwai Gwai is a village in the province of Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe. It is located around 135 km north-west of Bulawayo. The village is named after the local river and is derived from the Ndebele word meaning ''tobacco''. The Gwai River Inn wa ...

Kafusi Kafusi is a ward in Gwanda District of Matabeleland South province in southern Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, b ...

Kezi Kezi may refer to: * Kezi, Iran * Kezi, Zimbabwe Khezi is a village in Matobo District, Matabeleland South province in zimbabwe,https://www.mindat.org/feature-888965.html located south of Bulawayo and from Maphisa, a small town which serves ...

, Madlambudzi,

Makhado Makhado (also: Makhato or Makgato, c.1839 – 3 September 1895) was a 19th-century chief (or ''khosi'') in the Singo (or Vhasenzi) dynasty of the Vendas. They ruled over the Dzanani "district" of the Zoutpansberg region of South Africa. He was t ...

, Maphisa, Masendu, Ndolwane, Plumtree, Shangani,

Stanmore Stanmore is part of the London Borough of Harrow in London. It is centred northwest of Charing Cross, lies on the outskirts of the London urban area and includes Stanmore Hill, one of the highest points of London, at high. The district, which ...

, Tshitshi, Bulu,

West Nicholson West Nicholson or Tshabezi is a town in the Matabeleland South Province of Zimbabwe. Location It is located in Gwanda District, along the Bulawayo–Beitbridge Highway, approximately , southeast of the town of Gwanda, where the district he ...

, and Zezani.

Government and politics

Provincial government

Matabeleland South is overseen by the Minister of State for Matabeleland South Province, a

de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...

governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

who oversees provincial affairs and sits in the

House of Assembly House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level. Historically, in British Crown colonies as the colony gained more internal responsible governme ...

of the

Parliament of Zimbabwe The Parliament of Zimbabwe is the bicameral legislature of Zimbabwe composed of the Senate and the National Assembly. The Senate is the upper house, and consists of 80 members, 60 of whom are elected by proportional representation from ten six-m ...

. The governor is appointed by the

President of Zimbabwe The president of Zimbabwe is the head of state of Zimbabwe and head of the executive branch of the government of Zimbabwe. The president chairs the national cabinet and is the chief commanding authority of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. The i ...

and is not appointed to a set term. Historically, the governor held the title Governor of Matabeleland South, but the office has since been renamed to align with the 2013 Constitution of Zimbabwe, which does not allow for provincial governors. The current Minister of State for Matabeleland South Province is Abednico Ncube, a

ZANU–PF The Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF) is a political organisation which has been the ruling party of Zimbabwe since independence in 1980. The party was led for many years under Robert Mugabe, first as prime ministe ...

member who was appointed by President

Emmerson Mnangagwa Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa (, American English, US: (); born 15 September 1942) is a Zimbabwean politician who has served as President of Zimbabwe since 24 November 2017. A member of ZANU–PF and a longtime ally of former President Robert Muga ...

in December 2017.

Districts

Matabeleland South Province is divided into seven districts:

, Bulilima,

, Insiza, Mangwe, Matobo, and

Umzingwane Umzingwane is a village and seat of the Umzingwane District, in Matabeleland South province, in Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Lim ...

National politics

Like each of Zimbabwe's ten provinces, Matabeleland South Province is represented in the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

by six senators, three of whom must be women. Senators are not directly elected by voters, but are instead selected by party lists via a

proportional representation Proportional representation (PR) refers to a type of electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to geographical (e.g. states, regions) and political divis ...

system. The province's current senators since the 2018 elections are Themba Mathuthu (

), Alma Mkwebu (ZANU–PF), Tambudzani Mohadi (ZANU–PF), Simon Khaya-Moyo (ZANU–PF), Bekithemba Mpofu (

MDC Alliance The Movement for Democratic Change Alliance was an electoral coalition of seven political parties formed to contest Zimbabwe's 2018 general election. After the 2018 election, a dispute arose over the use of the name MDC Alliance leading the MDC ...

), and Meliwe Phuthi (MDC Alliance). Matabeleland South is represented by 13 Members of Parliament in the

, Zimbabwe's lower house of

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

. The province's current MPs since the 2018 elections are Patrick Dube, Ruth Mavhungu Maboyi,

Levi Mayihlome Levi (; ) was, according to the Book of Genesis, the third of the six sons of Jacob and Leah (Jacob's third son), and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Levi (the Levites, including the Kohanim) and the great-grandfather of Aaron, Moses and M ...

, Obedingwa Mguni,

Edgar Moyo Edgar Moyo is a Zimbabwean politician. He is the current Minister of Energy and Power Development of Zimbabwe and a member of parliament. He is a member of ZANU–PF The Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF) is a pol ...

, Abednico Ncube, Soul Ncube,

Nqobizitha Ndlovu Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu (born 16 November 1980) is a Zimbabwean parliamentarian and minister. He is affiliated with ZANU–PF and represents the constituency of Bulilima East. He was appointed the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Enterprise ...

, Albert Nguluvhe, Dingumuzi Phuti, Madodana Sibanda, Spare Sithole, and Farai Taruvinga. All are members of ZANU–PF except for Dube, who represents the

References

{{Authority control Provinces of Zimbabwe 1974 establishments in Rhodesia