Mutoko

Mutoko is a small town in Mashonaland East province, Zimbabwe. It was established as an administrative station in 1911. It lies 143 km from Harare. It is named after the local Chief Mutoko.

This town is capital of the Mutoko District which is inhabited by the Buja people. The Buja people are said to have settled in Mutoko coming from the north through Mhingari in what is now Mozambique. They were led by Nehor-eka(or Nehoreka or Nohureka), his father Mukombwe, his brothers Nyanzunzu and Mukwiradombo and sister Chingate (Nyamungate). Nehor-eka found Makate and his people in this area and Nehor-eka gave his sister Chingate (or Nyamungate) to Makate as a wife who later tricked Makate to lose the kingdom to Nehor-eka.[3] (see Nehanda and Chaminuka), a spiritual leader of the Buja people. Nehor-eka's totem is shumba(lion). The name Nehor-eka does not have a local origin and meaning. There has been an attempt to link it to a beast or animal such as mombe (cow) or buffalo previously with no real meaning to the name. These animals do not relate to Nehor-eka totem. This attempt has resulted in it being distorted to Nohoreka or Nohureka by local people in the area in an effort to accommodate its unusual structure. It constitutes two words which are hyphenated. The first name, Nehor is of Hebrew or Aramaic origin which means light. The variant of this name is Nahor. If one had to change it to Nohor or Nohur, one does not find these words in local languages either. The word 'eka' is also not found in Shona or any other local languages. It is of Indo-European origin, which refers to one, or first or hero with other related meanings.

In an attempt to preserve the name, Nehoreka is also the name of a 10 piece Afro-Fusion music band, formed in Gweru Zimbabwe by Percy Nhara, Solomon Jahwi and Innocent Madamombe. The band is now based in Harare. The town includes a future based young artist Blessing Sulumba (King Shy) who rose fame in 2015 after his first album(Shasha dzega) which was also Sponsored by Childline Mutoko and launched at Starbrite Talent Show. The Mutoko District measures up to 678  km whole wide and got the famous Teacher's college situated in the East.

The Buja people are known for being amongst the best tomato and mango farmers in Zimbabwe. Mutoko is surrounded by villages which were given to farmers after the war. It is from these resettlements the country is fed. In these areas, they produce maize, cotton, beans and recently tobacco. Mutoko is considered one of the major breadbaskets of Zimbabwe. Mutoko area is also known for being a very mountainous region of Zimbabwe and as such is an important source granite stone.

In 1937 at nearby Mutemwa there was established one of the few leprosy treatment centres in the country[4] at which John Bradburne worked from 1969 until he was killed by guerrillas during the Rhodesian Bush War.[5] Up to 25,000 people attend a service each year in his memory.[6]

Mutoko is also the birthplace of Tsitsi Dangarembga, author of the famous post-colonial novel Nervous ConditionsWilson Katiyo, Dzekasburg, Chawasarira, Admire Mudzonga and many others who stood as luminaries in this corner of Zimbabwe. UK-based author, Masimba Musodza, although born and bred in Harare, is of the Buja people and takes pride in his heritage as a direct descendant of Nehor-eka.

List of famous institutions in Mutoko: Nyadire Methodist Mission: Teachers College, mixed boarding facilities for High and primary school, hospital, Methodist church institution Mutoko High School Gvt Funded boarding facilities mixed.

All Souls Catholic Mission: Orphanage mixed Boarding facilities for High and primary schools, hospital, church Nyamuzuwe Methodist Mission: mixed Boarding facilities for High and primary School hospital and church.

Tourist attractions: Mutoko airport Motoko centre Mutoko ruins Mudzi River. It was the Traditional dance of ZIMBABWE started and Frank Changoto is now an Ambassador of Zimbabwean Traditional dance because he was born in Mutoko.

Mutoko is also the birthplace of Abel Kahuni, one of the best middle-distance runners Prince Edward School and Zimbabwe has ever produced.

27  km south-west of Mutoko lies a Developing Growth Point called Jani. It is considered the rapid rural developing centre in Mashonaland East. It has a capture area of about 30  km.