Filabusi is a town in the
Matabeleland South Province of
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 ...
. The town is the district capital of
Insiza District
Insiza District is one of the seven districts located in the province of Matabeleland South of Zimbabwe. It is a rural area. Insiza District lies to the South East of Bulawayo in Zimbabwe and borders Gwanda District to the South, Zvishavane Dist ...
and a service centre for the surrounding mining and farming areas.
Location
Filabusi lies off the
Mbalabala–Mutare Road, approximately , southeast 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 ...
, the nearest large city.
This is approximately , by road, west of
Zvishavane, in
Zvishavane District
Zvishavane District is one of the eight districts in Midlands Province of Zimbabwe.
It has Mberengwa District to the south and Shurugwi District to the north.
Its capital is Zvishavane town.
Economy
Zvishavane District is home of Zvis ...
.
The geographical coordinates of Filabusi are 20°31'46.0"S, 29°17'12.0"E (Latitude:-20.529444; Longitude:29.286667).
The town sits at an average elevation of above mean sea level.
Overview
The town of Filabusi is supplied with water from a
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 ...
on the
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, ...
. The Filabusi Mining District was a major producer of
gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...
, with mines such as Fred and Royal Family.
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive but large pieces are slow t ...
was mined at Epoch Mines, owned by
.
Asbestos
Asbestos () is a naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral. There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals, each fibre being composed of many microscopic "fibrils" that can be released into the atmosphere b ...
was also mined at Pangani and Croft. However all these large scale mining operations are now closed, with mining in the district limited to small scale
artisanal gold mining.
Population
The 2012 national population census put the population of Filabusi at 1,756 inhabitants.
Agriculture
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 ...
in the Filabusi area is mostly
cattle
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ...
ranching, with some small-scale farming (see photo), the latter mainly on land expropriated from Caucasian settlers, as part of the
Fast Track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP).
Other considerations
The town hosts a hospital; the Filabusi District Hospital and a high school, the Filabusi High School. There are two private surgeries and a retail pharmacy.
Filabusi is also home to ''Godlwayo Culture Centre'', which hosted the 2016 Annual Zimbabwe Culture Week.
See also
*
List of cities and towns in Zimbabwe
References
External links
Filabusi Memorial and the Edkins Store Killings
{{Matabeleland South Province
Insiza District
Populated places in Matabeleland South Province