Mutare District is a district in

Manicaland Province Manicaland is a province in eastern Zimbabwe. After Harare Province, it is the country's second-most populous province, with a population of 2.037 million, as of the 2022 census. After Harare and Bulawayo provinces, it is Zimbabwe's third-most de ...

of eastern

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 ...

. The district headquarters is the city of

Mutare Mutare (formerly Umtali) is the most populous city in the province of Manicaland, and the third most populous city in Zimbabwe, having surpassed Gweru in the 2012 census, with an urban area, urban population of 224,802 and approximately 260,567 ...

Geography

The district has a rural area of 5,523 km², and an urban area of 191 km². It is bounded on the east by

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...

, on the northeast by

Mutasa District Mutasa District is one of seven districts in Manicaland Province of Zimbabwe. Mutasa District is located 30 km northeast Mutare and stretches up to the Honde Valley, which is about 100 km northeast of Mutare along a tarred road that bran ...

, on the northwest by

Makoni District Makoni District is a district in Zimbabwe. The name also refers to a parliamentary constituency with coterminous borders. Location The district is located in Manicaland Province, in northeastern Zimbabwe. Its main town, Rusape, with an estimate ...

, on the southwest by

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 Provi ...

, and on the southeast by

Chimanimani District Chimanimani District (part of which was known as Melsetter 1895–1982) is a mountainous district in Manicaland Province of eastern Zimbabwe. The district headquarters is the town of Chimanimani. Geography The district has an area of 3,450. ...

. The city of

is located in the northeastern corner of the district, near the border with Mozambique. Mutare is the largest city in the district, and the fourth-largest city in Zimbabwe. Other towns include

Chiadzwa Chiadzwa is a ward in Mutare District and Mutare West constituency in Zimbabwe and home to the Marange diamond fields The Marange diamond fields are an area of widespread small-scale diamond production in Chiadzwa, Mutare District, Zimbabwe. 'Al ...

and

Odzi Odzi is a village in Manicaland Province, Zimbabwe located 32 km west of Mutare just off the main Harare-Mutare road. Odzi was established as a railway siding in 1899. It serves as a small trading centre in a tobacco and mix farming region. ...

. The

Eastern Highlands :''"Eastern Highlands" also refers to Eastern Highlands Province in Papua New Guinea, and part of the Great Dividing Range, Australia.'' The Eastern Highlands, also known as the Manica Highlands, is a mountain range on the border of Zimbabwe ...

extend north and south through eastern portion of the district, along the border with Mozambique. The

Bvumba Mountains The Bvumba Mountains or Vumba Mountains straddle the Zimbabwe-Mozambique border, and are situated some 10 km south east of Mutare. The Bvumba rise to Castle Beacon at 1,911 metres, and are, together with the Chimanimani Mountains to the south ...

form a part of the highlands, and rise southeast of Mutare city. The highest peak is Castle Beacon at 1,911 metres. The

Bunga Forest Botanical Reserve The Bunga Forest Botanical Reserve conserves mist-forest along the southern slopes of the Bvumba Mountains in the Eastern Highlands, Zimbabwe. It is the largest conserved area in the Bvumba highlands, and can be accessed from various points along ...

conserves the mountains' high-elevation mist forest.

Banti Forest Reserve Banti is an Italian surname. It may refer to: *Anna Banti (1895-1985), Italian writer *Brigida Banti (1757-1806), Italian soprano * Luisa Banti (1894-1978), Italian archaeologist * Luca Banti (born 1974), Italian football referee *Guido Banti (1852 ...

(22.2 km²) is located south of the Bvumba Range, in the mountains along the Mozambican border. Most of the district lies in the basin of the Save River, which forms the southwestern boundary of the district. The

Odzi River The Odzi River is a tributary of the Save River in Zimbabwe. It joins the latter river at Nyanyadzi. It is dammed at Osborne Dam. The Odzani River is a westward-flowing tributary of the Odzi, rising near Penhalonga north of the city of Mutare ...

, a tributary of the Save, drains the center of the district, flowing southwards to join the Save at the district's southernmost point. The

Burma Valley Burma Valley is a low-lying area on the border between Zimbabwe and Mozambique, located southeast of the Bvumba Mountains. Passing on the main tarred road from Mutare the road leads through the mountains, reaching communal farm lands of Chigodo ...

, an area along the southeastern border with Mozambique on the eastern slope of the Bvumba mountains, drains eastwards into the Revué River, a tributary of the Buzi River.

People

The 2022 census recorded a population of 306,760 in the rural portion of the district. Mutare urban had a population of 224,802.

Administration

The rural portion of the district is divided into 36 administrative wards. Mutare has an elected City Council, with 19 councillors each representing one of the city's 19 wards. The city of Mutare is the district's administrative headquarters, and also serves as the administrative headquarters of Manicaland Province. The district is divided into six

Assembly Assembly may refer to: Organisations and meetings * Deliberative assembly, a gathering of members who use parliamentary procedure for making decisions * General assembly, an official meeting of the members of an organization or of their representa ...

parliamentary constituencies An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region Administra ...

. Dangamvura-Chikanga,

Mutare Central Mutare Central is a constituency represented in the National Assembly of the Parliament of Zimbabwe, located in Mutare in Manicaland Province. Its current MP since the 2023 general election is Brian James of the Citizens Coalition for Change, t ...

Mutare North Mutare (formerly Umtali) is the most populous city in the province of Manicaland, and the third most populous city in Zimbabwe, having surpassed Gweru in the 2012 census, with an urban population of 224,802 and approximately 260,567 in the sur ...

, Mutare South, and

Mutare West Mutare West is a constituency represented in the National Assembly of the Parliament of Zimbabwe, located in Manicaland Province. Its current MP since the 2023 general election is Nyasha Marange of ZANU–PF. Electoral history The candidate of ...

constituencies are entirely within the district, and a portion of Mutare municipality is in

Mutasa South Mutasa South is a constituency of the National Assembly of the Parliament of Zimbabwe, located in Manicaland Province. Its current MP since a 2022 by-election is Misheck Mugadza of ZANU–PF. The seat was previous represented by Regai Tsunga of ...

constituency. The district is divided between two

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 ...

constituencies; Mutare constituency includes Dangamvura-Chikanga, Mutare Central, and Mutare North, while Mutare West and Mutare South are in Chimanimani constituency."Electoral Boundaries – Maps". Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. Accessed 17 April 2020.

Transport

The main east-west road from

Harare Harare (; formerly Salisbury ) is the capital and most populous city of Zimbabwe. The city proper has an area of 940 km2 (371 mi2) and a population of 2.12 million in the 2012 census and an estimated 3.12 million in its metropolitan ...

to the Mozambican port of Beira ( R5, or A3 in the older numbering system) runs through Mutare district, crossing the international border just east of Mutare city. The

Beira–Bulawayo railway Beira-Bulawayo railway, also called Machipanda railway, Beira-Harare-Bulawayo railway and Beira railway, is a railway that connects the city of Beira, Mozambique, to the city of Bulawayo, in Zimbabwe. It is 850 km long, in a 1067 mm gauge.

also passes through Mutare, which has a railway station. Airports in the district include Mutare Airport, located close to the city, and Grand Reef Airport, located 20 km west of Mutare Airport.

References

External links

{{Geography of Zimbabwe Districts of Manicaland Province