Ikwelo River

Gweru River (known as Gwelo River until 1982) is a river in Midlands Province of Zimbabwe.

Gweru River in the Gwayi River catchment (right)

Background

The name Gweru is a further distortion of the name Gwelo which was a distortion of the name Ikwelo meaning a very steep place where one would usually use a ladder upwards or downwards. Itself a distortion of the original Kalanga name of Gwelu an abbreviation of Gwelumatjena meaning the river of white stones. The Matebele just distorted the name as they did many names. Legends say when Ndebele people first settled in the area, their women found it very difficult to draw water from the river because of its slippery steep banks.[1][2] The river was then called 'Ikwelo' because the greater part of this 100 miles (160 km) long river has slippery steep banks all the way to its mouth in Shangani River. Women used ukwelo (ladder) then to help them fetch water from the river.

Gweru City was named from Ikwelo River. The European settlers pronounced as iGwelo shortened to Gwelo and after independence Zimbabweans shonalized it to Gweru, hence Gweru River.[3]

Operations

Gweru River has the 100 hactare Mabangeni Irrigation Scheme in Lower Gweru and the 165 hactare Exchange Irrigation Scheme in Zhombe supplied from Insukamini Dam and Exchange Block Dam respectively. Mabangeni Irrigation Scheme draws water from Insukamini Dam via a pick-up weir on Gweru River.

Siltation and pollution

Semi-treated sewage has been polluting Gweru River over the years.[4] but the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) is taking steps to harness water pollution in this and other rivers nationwide.[5]

In another effort to fight water pollution in Gweru River a Midlalands State University student advocated awareness by junior secondary school students on Gweru River pollution and siltation. The campaign has been received by many organizations and schools in Gweru, the prime pollutants drainage basin of Gweru River.

Tributaries

These are the original names based on Maps produced by the government of Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe.[6][7]

  • Kenyana River (Lower Gweru)
  • Ngamo River (Lower Gweru)
  • Matega River (Lower Gweru)
  • Chakawa River (Lower Gweru)
  • Mandingo River (Lower Gweru)
  • Kalulani River (Lower Gweru_ off Shagari Dam)
  • Batitswa River (Lower Gweru)
  • Bembe River (Lower Gweru_ off Museyamwa Dam)
  • Ingwenya River (Lower Gweru)
  • Ntabemhlope River (Lower Gweru)
  • Damba River (Silobela_ off Damba Dam)
  • Zvanyanya River (Silobela)
  • Semkulu River (_ off Totololo Dam)
  • Summer River (Silobela Purchase Area)
  • Mavhunatsvimbo River (Silobela)
  • Ndhlamatuli River (Silobela)
  • Marirangwe River (Zhombe)
  • Gwembezi River (Silobela)
  • Sangeni River (Silobela)
  • Sehnga River
  • Umhlafuto River (Silobela)
  • Donsa River
  • Nyauswe River (Zhombe)
  • Semizi River (Zhombe)
  • Mangwizi River (Zhombe)
  • Setshanke River (Nkai)
  • Gwelutshena River (Nkayi_ off Gwelutshena Dam)
  • Ngenungenu River (Nkayi) last tributary before meeting Shangani River.
  • Tohwe River (Nkayi)

See also

References
  1. Division of Native Affairs|1960 Rhodesian Heritage: Rhodesian Lore and Legend|GWELO The late Col. Carbutt wrote, “Gwelo township was originally known to Africans as Senka after the kopje of that name. This was at lease indicative of a fixed spot, unlike the name of Gwelo which is applicable to anywhere along the course of a river one hundred miles in length.” The Gwelo River near its source and down to almost where it joins the Shangani, has carved steep slippery banks in the plain over the years. When the AmaNdebele first settled in the area, the woman are said to have found it very difficult to draw water, in fact they could never find an easy place to climb up from the river bed with their full vessels. Accordingly, they often spoke of “the steep place” (ikwelo), and the river came to be known as iKwelo, eventually becoming Gwelo. Rhodesian Lore and Legend LORE AND LEGEND SOUTHERN RHODESIA PLACE NAMES| Published by; The Chief Information Officer, Information Services Branch. Division of Native Affairs, Salisbury September, 1960]rhodesianheritage.blogspot.nl|2010|Retrieved 18 February 2016
  2. Isibindi|1970 Place Names of Rhodesia|GWELO. When the Matabele settled in the district, the women found it difficult to draw water from the river because of the steep banks. It became known as iKwelo - "the steep place". www.rhodesia.me.uk|Retrieved 18 February tmrh
  3. The community in the heart of the Nation - The City of Progress|Gweru is the capital of Midlands Province. Built along the Gweru river, the original Ndebele name was iKwelo (The Steep Place), after the river's high banks, where umkwelo (a ladder) was used by those who fetched water from it. MyGweru.com|Retrieved 18 February 2016
  4. Midlands Correspondent (3 March 2015). "Gweru admits to environment pollution". newzimbabwe.com. Retrieved 18 February 2016. GWERU City Council is discharging partially treated effluent into the environment owing to the repeated breakdown of the two sewage treatment plants, a senior official has revealed. Acting director for engineering services Praymore Mhlanga said lack of resources to repair the treatment plants has seen the local authority being taken to court by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) and at times fined. Over the years, the council has been slammed for discharging raw sewage into Gweru River posing a health hazard to humans, animals and plants.
  5. Stephen Chadenga|4 March 2015 requires $7 million to refurbish sewage treatment plants|The council’s acting director of engineering services, Praymore Mhlanga, said the local authority had applied to the government and was granted permission to borrow money to refurbish the plants. Over the years, council has been at logger heads with the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) over the discharge of raw sewage into the environment. At one time, council had to pay a $5 000 fine to EMA for discharging effluent into the Gweru River. Southern Eye Website|Gweru City|Retrieved 18 February 2016
  6. Gweru Map (Sheet SE35-16 Gwelo edition 2) Gweru District map showing Gweru River course from Senga, Gweru through Lower Gweru to Silobela Communal Land www.rhodesia.me.uk|SHEETFALL-1:250 000 SERIES|Retrieved 18 February 2016
  7. Kwekwe Map (Sheet SE35-12 QueQue edition 2) Kwekwe District map showing Gweru River through Silobela, Zhombe and finally meeting with Shangani River in Nkai Communal land Archived 2016-03-01 at the Wayback Machine www.rhodesia.me.uk|SHEETFALL-1:250 000 SERIES|Retrieved 18 2016

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