Bulawayo

Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, after the capital Harare, with a population of 676,000 (UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator, Zimbabwe, 2005). It is located in Matabeleland, 320km south-west of Harare, and is the capital of Matabeleland North.

General Information

The name "Bulawayo" comes from the Ndebele word Gubulawayo meaning 'place of slaughter'. The city is on the site of the kraal of Lobengula, king of the Ndebele, who first founded Bulawayo as a settlement in 1871, about 15km south-east of the present city centre. In 1881 the king moved the settlement further north, to an area roughly corresponding with Bulawayo's modern northern suburbs. During the 1893 Matabele War the advance of British troops led the king to burn his capital and flee north, and troops occupied the town, which was declared to be under the rule of the British South Africa Company on 4 November 1894.

Related Topics:
Ndebele - Kraal - Lobengula - Ndebele - 1871 - 1881 - 1893 - Matabele - British South Africa Company - 1894

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During the 1896 Matabele Revolt Bulawayo was besieged by Ndebele forces for several months, and a laager was established there for defensive purposes.

Related Topics:
1896 - Laager

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Bulawayo became a city in 1943. Before the collapse of Zimbabwe's rail infrastructure, Bulawayo was an important transport hub, providing rail links between Botswana, South Africa and Zambia and promoting the city's development as a major industrial centre. The city still contains much of what remains of Zimbabwe's heavy industry and food processing capability. The Matobo National Park and Hwange National Park are nearby. The city also contains the National Museum and Archives of Zimbabwe.

Related Topics:
1943 - Botswana - South Africa - Zambia - Matobo National Park - Hwange National Park

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Bulawayo is home to the Queens Sports Club and Bulawayo Athletic Club, two of the three grounds in Zimbabwe where test match cricket has been played.

Related Topics:
Test match - Cricket

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The majority of the population of Bulawayo belong to the Ndebele ethnic/language group, who descend from 19th century Zulu immigrants and are a minority in Zimbabwe.

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