Filabusi

Filabusi Emfelabuso
Farming area near Filabusi
Filabusi Location in Zimbabwe
Coordinates: 20°31′46″S 29°17′12″E
Country	Zimbabwe
Province	Matabeleland South
Districts of Zimbabwe	Insiza District
Municipality	Filabusi Town Council
Elevation	3,566 ft (1,087 m)
Population  (2012 Census)
• Total	1,756
Time zone	UTC+2 (CAT)
Climate	BSh

Filabusi is a town in the Matabeleland South Province of Zimbabwe. The town is the administrative capital of Insiza District and a service centre for the surrounding mining and farming areas.[1]

Location

Filabusi lies off the Mbalabala–Mutare Road, approximately 98 kilometres (61 mi), southeast of Bulawayo, the nearest large city.[2] This is approximately 91 kilometres (57 mi), by road, west of Zvishavane, in Zvishavane District.[3] The geographical coordinates of Filabusi are 20°31'46.0"S, 29°17'12.0"E (Latitude:-20.529444; Longitude:29.286667).[4] The town sits at an average elevation of 1,087 metres (3,566 ft) above mean sea level.[5]

Overview

The town of Filabusi is supplied with water from a weir on the Insiza River. The Filabusi Mining District was a major producer of gold, with mines such as Fred and Royal Family. Nickel was mined at Epoch Mines, owned by Bindura Nickel Corporation.[6]  Asbestos was also mined at Pangani and Croft. However all these large scale mining operations are now closed, with mining in the district limited to small scale artisanal gold mining.[6]

Population

The 2012 national population census put the population of Filabusi at 1,756 inhabitants.[7]

Agriculture

Agriculture in the Filabusi area is mostly cattle ranching, with some small-scale farming (see photo), the latter mainly on land expropriated from Caucasian settlers, as part of the Fast Track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP).[8]

Other considerations

The town hosts a hospital; the Filabusi District Hospital and a high school, the Filabusi High School. There are two private surgeries and a retail pharmacy. [9] Filabusi is also home to Godlwayo Culture Centre, which hosted the 2016 Annual Zimbabwe Culture Week.[10]

See also

• List of cities and towns in Zimbabwe

References

1. Lungelo Ndhlovu (20 November 2019). "Homes, land destroyed as desperate Zimbabweans turn to illegal gold mining". London: Thomson Reuters Foundation. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
2. "Road Distance Between Bulawayo and Filabusi" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
3. "Road Distance From Filabusi To Zvishavane" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
4. "Location of Filabusi, Zimbabwe" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
5. Floodmap (27 July 2020). "Elevation of Filabusi, Zimbabwe". Floodmap.net. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
6. Baglow, N. (1998). The geology of the Filabusi Greenstone Belt and surrounding granitic terrain. Vol. 91. Zimbabwe Geological Survey Bulletin.
7. Geoview (2020). "Filabusi is a populated place and is located in Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe". Geoview.info. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
8. John Murphy (6 July 2004). "Zimbabwe farmers set roots in Zambia". The Baltimore Sun. Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
9. "Map Showing Filabusi High School and Filabusi District Hospital" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
10. "Zimbabwe: Culture Week Preparations Gather Momentum" (via AllAfrica.com). The Herald (Zimbabwe). Harare. 28 April 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2020.

External links

• Filabusi Memorial and the Edkins Store Killings