The Mzingwane River, formerly known Umzingwane River as or Umzingwani River is a major left-bank 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 mountain ...

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 ...

. It rises near Fort Usher,

Matobo District Matobo District is a district of the Province Matabeleland South in Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by Sou ...

, south of

Bulawayo Bulawayo (, ; Ndebele: ''Bulawayo'') is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, and the largest city in the country's Matabeleland region. The city's population is disputed; the 2022 census listed it at 665,940, while the Bulawayo City Council ...

and flows into the

near Beitbridge, downstream of the mouth of the

Shashe River The Shashe River (or Shashi River) is a major left-bank tributary of the Limpopo River in Zimbabwe. It rises northwest of Francistown, Botswana and flows into the Limpopo River where Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa meet.Bubye River The Bubye River, also known as Bubi River, is a tributary of the Limpopo River in Beitbridge District and Gwanda District, Zimbabwe. It rises about to the northeast of West Nicholson in Matabeleland South, from where it flows southeast before j ...

Hydrology

The Mzingwane River is an ephemeral river with flow generally restricted to the months when rain takes place (November to March), with most flow recorded between December and February, except where it has been modified by dam operations. The river contributes 9.3% of the mean annual runoff of the Limpopo Basin, making it the third largest tributary to the Limpopo basin. Major tributaries of the Mzingwane River include the Insiza, Inyankuni, Ncema, Umchabezi (not to be confused with Mtshabezi) and Mtetengwe Rivers. The lower Mzingwane River is a sand filled channel, with extensive alluvial

aquifer An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing, permeable rock, rock fractures, or unconsolidated materials ( gravel, sand, or silt). Groundwater from aquifers can be extracted using a water well. Aquifers vary greatly in their characteris ...

s in the river channel and below the alluvial plains. Estimated water resources potential of these aquifers ranges between 175,000 m³ and 5,430,000³ in the channels and between 80,000 m³ and 6,920,000³ in the plains. Currently, some of these aquifers are being used to provide water for domestic use, livestock watering and dip tanks, commercial irrigation and market gardening.

Settlements along the river

The settlements below are ordered from the beginning of the river to its end: *

Mbalabala Mbalabala (Balla Balla until 1982) is a village on the main Beitbridge-Bulawayo road (at the junction with the Filabusi Road) in Matabeleland, Zimbabwe. Situated approximately 41 miles (66 km) south-east of the city of Bulawayo. The name i ...

village *

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 ...

town *

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 ...

village * Beitbridge town is located about 6 km ESE of the confluence of the Bubye River and the Limpopo on the border with

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

. It was established in 1929.

Bridges and crossings

There are four main bridges over the Mzingwane River: * Bridge on main

- Beitbridge road, between

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 ...

and

, downstream of Mzingwane Dam. There is also a rail bridge. * 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, ...

road. * Bridge on main

- Beitbridge road at

, downstream of confluence with

Insiza River The Insiza River is the principal tributary of the Mzingwane River in Zimbabwe. It rises near Fort Rixon, Insiza District, and flows into the Mzingwane River near West Nicholson. Hydrology The upper reaches of the Insiza River are ephemeral, ...

. There is also a rail bridge. * Bertie Knott Bridge, on the road from Beitbridge to Shashe Irrigation Scheme, near the mouth. There are also a number of fords, including: * Two fords upstream of

on Silalabuhwa and Mosholomoshe roads. * Doddieburn ford, downstream of

. * Gems Drift, near Beitbridge. * Fulton's Drift, near Beitbridge.

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 are two major dams on the Mzingwane River: * Mzingwane Dam, built in 1962, with a full supply capacity of 42 MCM (

million cubic metre The cubic metre (in Commonwealth English and international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures) or cubic meter (in American English) is the unit of volume in the International System of Units (SI). Its symbol is m ...

s). It is located near the source of the river and supplies water to the city of

. * Zhovhe Dam, built in 1995, with a full supply capacity of 136 MCM. It is located near the confluence with the

and supplies water for irrigation to Beitbridge Additional dam sites have been identified at Glassblock and Oakley Block, but development is not currently scheduled. Currently, a project is underway to construct a pipeline from the upper Mtshabezi River (not to be confused with Umchabezi River) to Mzingwane Dam.

References

{{Rivers of Zimbabwe Rivers of Zimbabwe Geography of Matabeleland South Province Tributaries of the Limpopo River