Zhombe
Zhombe (also known as Jombe) is a rural communal area in Kwekwe District, Midlands Province, Mthwakazi. It is a predominantly area of Northern Ndebele People. It lies along Mnyathi Border line between Zimbabwe and Mthwakazi. There are a few commercial farms within its borders and a handful of resettlement areas. Most of it is within the Zhombe Constituency. Its administrative centre is the Zhombe Joel Growth Point, and it is under the Zibagwe Rural District Council.
There are fourteen business centres in Zhombe. Ten of the business centres are electrified. There are also two rural service centres: Empress and Zhombe Joel. As of 2011, there were 53 primary schools and 18 secondary schools. There are ten clinics (and one mission hospital) and several health centers in Zhombe.
The area is primarily rangeland supporting over 48,000 cattle, with 13 animal health centers and 26 dip tanks.
History
Zhombe was formerly known as Jombe. Zhombe is the current spelling of "Jombe", a former spelling which came about as a result of Portuguese orthography. It is not uncommon for "Jo" to continue to be pronounced "Zho" in these Central African names.
Jombe possibly originated from migrant workers who worked with the German gold miners, who had numerous small scale mines in Zhombe and elsewhere in Zimbabwe. They brought Jombe to this part of the world from elsewhere. Jombe is also the name of a type of deep purple chrysanthemum. "Jombe" is also a surname. However, there must have been Jombe and Zhombe in the 1930s as Esme Newfield put down in her family biography, or there was a market place called Jombe and the other one Zhombe such as Jombe Store and Zhombe Store.
Traditional Leaders
There are four chiefs in Zhombe: two in Zhombe-east and two in Zhombe-west:
- Chief Gwesela, Zhombe-east
- Chief Samambwa, Zhombe-east
- Chief Malisa, Zhombe-west
- Chief Ntabeni, Zhombe-west
The most popular headmen in all Zhombe are Nduku in Zhombe-west and S Samambwa in Zhombe-east. The two are usually mistaken for chiefs.
Food Security
Food crops that are popularly grown in Zhombe include maize, groundnuts, roundnuts, sorghum, millet and cotton. The two irrigation schemes in Zhombe east also farm beans and okra seasonally.
Politics
The political atmosphere has substantially changed in Zhombe East. This area has been known for years for being politically stable and violence free, and since the days of the Government of National Unity (GNU), Zhombe residents have witnessed free expression of political views. The elders have urged the youngsters not to be used by politicians, to murder, torture and harass people for the politicians' political self-interest. The peace-loving people of Zhombe detest political violence and people who come to inflict violent mentality in the minds of Zhombe people have been greatly criticized by Zhombe residents.
In the 1990 Parliamentary Election (see A History of Zimbabwean Elections) Zhombe returned to Parliament:
- Peter Hewlett of Zanu PF with 15 912 votes,
- Rodger Ross of ZUM with 1 083 votes,
- Raphael Muroyiwa, Independent, with 380 votes.
Turnout - 18 241 voters or 53.71 %
In the 2013 Elections, (see A History of Zimbabwean Elections) Zhombe returned to Parliament:
- Daniel M Ncube of Zanu PF with 9 850 votes or 57.10 percent,
- Rodger Tazviona of MDC-T with 5 218 votes or 30.25 percent,
- Sandra Ncube of MDC with 921 votes or 5.34 percent,
- Brian Bako, Independent, with 834 votes or 4.83 percent,
- Bernad Magugu of ZAPU with 427 votes or 2.48 percent.
Total 17 250 votes
First Black school inspector
Today's Sabhuku Kadzunge (Village Head) was a school inspector well before independence. He was a high-ranking official in the education sector, the equivalent of today's education officer.
