Mwenezi River is a major tributary of the

Limpopo River The Limpopo River rises in South Africa and flows generally eastward through Mozambique to the Indian Ocean. The term Limpopo is derived from Rivombo (Livombo/Lebombo), a group of Tsonga settlers led by Hosi Rivombo who settled in the mountaino ...

. The Mwenezi River starts up in south central

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 ...

and flows south-east along what is known as the Mwenezi River Valley that bisects the district into two sectors. The river is found in both

and

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 ...

. In Zimbabwe it has been known as the ''Nuanetsi or Nuanetzi River'' in the past, a name it retains in Mozambique. The river flows through

Gonarezhou National Park Gonarezhou National Park is a national park located in southeastern Zimbabwe. It is situated in a relatively remote corner of Masvingo Province, south of Chimanimani along the Mozambique border. Owing to its vast size, rugged terrain and its loc ...

on its way to joining the mighty

. The Mwenezi river is a major tributary and flows north–south. They do not meet in Zimbabwe, but converge to a distance of 20 km downstream into

Chicualacuala District Chicualacuala District (Portuguese: Distrito de Chicualacuala) is a district of Gaza Province in south-western Mozambique. It has a population of 41,638 (2011) and covers . The population density of Chicualacuala District 2.1 residents per square ...

, Mozambique. In between is the Sengwe Communal Land in

Chiredzi District A district in Zimbabwe, Masvingo Province Chiredzi found in the district, is one of a number of centers for HIV/AIDS treatment in the province. The district's Hippo Valley Hospital is one of a number of centers for HIV/AIDS treatment in the pro ...

Masvingo Province Masvingo is a province in southeastern Zimbabwe. It has a population of 1.485 million as of the 2012 census, ranking fifth out of Zimbabwe's ten provinces. Established as Victoria Province by the British South Africa Company, it was one of the ...

, mostly a flat and undulating area around 300 m in altitude.

Hydrology

The Mwenezi River is a river with an intermittent flow generally restricted to the months when rain takes place (November to April), with most flow recorded between December and February, except where it has been modified by dam operations. The river contributes 6.7% of the mean annual runoff of the Limpopo Basin, making it the third largest tributary to the Limpopo basin. Its major tributaries are the Dinhe, Manyoshi, Mtedzi, Mhondi, Makugwe, Sosonye, Sovoleli, Malole, Mwele and

Mushawe The Mushawe River (alternative spelling Mushawi River) is a right-bank tributary of the Mwenezi River in Zimbabwe. It rises in the Nemande mountain area and flows through the Maranda area to join the Mwenezi River downstream of Manyuchi Dam, M ...

rivers.

Settlements along the river

The towns and settlements below are ordered from the source of the river to its mouth: * Chegato mission *

Mwenezi Mwenezi is a small district situated in southern Zimbabwe. It is bisected by the Mwenezi River and the A4 highway, the main thoroughfare that connects the town of Beitbridge, on the border with South Africa, to Masvingo. Background Mwenezi der ...

village *

Mabalauta Gonarezhou National Park is a national park located in southeastern Zimbabwe. It is situated in a relatively remote corner of Masvingo Province, south of Chimanimani along the Mozambique border. Owing to its vast size, rugged terrain and its lo ...

Camp,

* Malipati village

Bridges and crossings

There are four main bridges spanning the Mwenezi River: * Bridge on main

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 ...

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 ...

road, near

Rutenga Rutenga, is an important village in the province of Masvingo Province in Zimbabwe. It is the de facto capital of Mwenezi (District). There are unverified claims that the name “Rutenga” is derived from corruption by local natives of what th ...

, also a rail bridge. * Bridge on Chegato - Mataga road * Bridge on Dinhe -

Neshuro Neshuro is an administrative center for Mwenezi District in Masvingo Province, south-eastern Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo ...

road * Bridge near Malipati on road from Chikombedzi There are also a number of

ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

Development

In addition to a number of small

weir A weir or low head dam is a barrier across the width of a river that alters the flow characteristics of water and usually results in a change in the height of the river level. Weirs are also used to control the flow of water for outlets of l ...

s, there is one major dam on the Mwenezi River:

Manyuchi Dam Manyuchi Dam forms a reservoir on the Mwenezi River in southern Zimbabwe. It is located in the Mwenezi District. The building of the dam was financed by the Mwenezi Development Corporation. The dam was built to irrigate oil palm estates. History ...

Mwenezi (District) Mwenezi is a small district situated in southern Zimbabwe. It is bisected by the Mwenezi River and the A4 highway, the main thoroughfare that connects the town of Beitbridge, on the border with South Africa, to Masvingo. Background Mwenezi der ...

, which supplies water to

and for the irrigation of sugar cane. Water released from the

is taken up for these users at Rinette Weir. Two additional dam sites have been identified between

and

village, but development is not currently scheduled.

Wildlife

The river supports a diverse range of wildlife, including

heron The herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 72 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ''Botaurus'' and ''Ixobrychus ...

hippo The hippopotamus ( ; : hippopotamuses or hippopotami; ''Hippopotamus amphibius''), also called the hippo, common hippopotamus, or river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extant ...

s and

Nile crocodiles The Nile crocodile (''Crocodylus niloticus'') is a large crocodilian native to freshwater habitats in Africa, where it is present in 26 countries. It is widely distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa, occurring mostly in the central, easter ...

. A number of people lose their lives to these crocodiles, as well as countless domestic animals like goats, calves and donkeys.Crocodile Attac

(accessed 19 February 2008)

References

External links

* Flora of Zimbabw

{{coord, 22, 38, 36, S, 31, 48, 52, E, source:kolossus-ltwiki, display=title Mwenezi River, Geography of Masvingo Province Mwenezi (District) Rivers of Mozambique International rivers of Africa Tributaries of the Limpopo River