Matabeleland

Modern day Matabeleland is a region in Zimbabwe divided into three provinces: Matabeleland North, Bulawayo and Matabeleland South. These provinces are in the west and south-west of Zimbabwe, between the Limpopo and Zambezi rivers. The region is named after its inhabitants, the Ndebele people. The Ndebele people are an agglomeration of Zulus led by Mzilikazi, Sotho, Kalanga, Venda, Tonga and other tribes normally referred to as minorities by the government. Some of the ethnic groups considered under the Ndebele umbrella term prefer to be identified separately. The Zimbabwean statistics office asserts the Population as at (1992) 1,855,300. Area: 181,605 km². The languages spoken are Kalanga, Sotho, Tonga, Venda, Ndebele and other dialects of the aforementioned. The major city is Bulawayo, other notable towns are Plumtree and Hwange. The land is particularly fertile but dry. This area has important gold deposits. Industries include gold and other mineral mines, and engineering. There has been a decline in the industries in this region as water is in short supply. Promises by the government to draw water for the region through the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project have not been carried out. The region is allegedly marginalised by the government.