39-618: Esigodini , originally known as Essexvale , is a town in the Matabeleland South Province of Zimbabwe . It is the administrative centre for Umzingwane District , one of the seven administrative districts in Matabeleland South. It was originally an estate of Frederick Selous , a British explorer, officer , professional hunter , and conservationist . Esigodini is situated approximately 44.5 kilometres (28 mi), by Gwanda road, southeast of Bulawayo ,
78-465: A complex climatic history over the past million or so years, in line with major global changes. Changes in the last 250,000 years have been reconstructed from various data sources, providing evidence of former extensive lakes and drier periods. During the latter, the area of the Kalahari has expanded to include parts of western Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Angola. Due to its low aridity, the Kalahari supports
117-470: A cooler climate than that of the Sahel or Sahara . For example, winter frost is common from June to August, rarely seen in the warmer Sahelian regions. For the same reason, summer temperatures certainly can be very hot, but not in comparison to regions of low altitude in the Sahel or Sahara, where some stations record average temperatures of the warmest month around 38 °C, whereas the average temperature of
156-580: A dry desert. The fossil flora and fauna from Gcwihaba Cave in Botswana indicates that the region was much wetter and cooler at least from 30 to 11 thousand Before Present , especially after 17,500 BP. Drainage of the desert is by dry black valleys, seasonally inundated pans, and the large salt pans of the Makgadikgadi Pan in Botswana and Etosha Pan in Namibia. The only permanent river,
195-424: A population of 683,893 as of the 2012 Zimbabwean census. It is the country's least populated province after Matabeleland North .Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North were established in 1974, when the original Matabeleland Province was bifurcated. The province is divided into six districts. Gwanda is the capital, and Beitbridge is the province's largest town. The name "Matabeleland" is derived from Ndebele ,
234-406: A small region toward the west-southwest of Tsaraxaibis (Southeast of Namibia). The average annual rainfall ranges from around 110 mm (close to aridity) to more than 500 mm in some north and east areas. During summertime in all regions, rainfall may go with heavy thunderstorms. In the driest and sunniest parts of the Kalahari, over 4,000 hours of sunshine are recorded annually on average. In
273-472: A variety of flora. The native flora includes acacia trees and many other herbs and grasses. The kiwano fruit, also known as the horned melon, melano, African horned cucumber, jelly melon, or hedged gourd, is endemic to a region in the Kalahari Desert (specific region unknown). Even where the Kalahari "desert" is dry enough to qualify as a desert in the sense of having low precipitation , it
312-405: Is approximately 30 inches (762 mm). According to the 1982 population census, Esigodini had a population of 1,492. The 2012 national population census and household survey enumerated 2,228 inhabitants in the town. The town was officially known as Essexvale until 1982, when the name changed to Esigodini . It was founded in 1894. Prior to the coming of European settlers, the surrounding area
351-650: Is home to the lion ( Panthera leo ), cheetah ( Acinonyx jubatus ), African leopard ( Panthera pardus ), spotted hyena ( Crocuta crocuta ), brown hyena ( Parahyaena brunnea ), and African wild dog ( Lycaon pictus pictus ). Birds of prey include the secretarybird ( Sagittarius serpentarius ), martial eagle ( Polemaetus bellicosus ) and other eagles, the giant eagle owl ( Bubo lacteus ) and other owls, falcons , goshawks , kestrels , and kites . Other animals include wildebeest , springbok , gemsbok and other antelopes , Cape porcupines ( Hystrix africaeaustralis ), and ostriches ( Struthio camelus ). Some of
390-655: Is not strictly speaking a desert because it has too dense a ground cover. The main region that lacks ground cover is in the southwest Kalahari (southeast of Namibia, northwest of South Africa, and southwest of Botswana) in the south of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park . For instance, in the ZF Mgcawu District Municipality of South Africa, total vegetation cover may be as low as 30.72% on non-protected (from cattle grazing) farmlands south of Twee Rivieren Rest Camp and 37.74% in
429-514: Is not to be confused with the Angolan, Namibian, and South African Namib coastal desert, whose name is of Khoekhoegowab origin and means "vast place". Kalahari is derived from the Tswana word Kgala , meaning "the great thirst", or Kgalagadi , meaning "a waterless place"; the Kalahari has vast areas covered by red sand without any permanent surface water. The Kalahari Desert was not always
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#1732791148849468-476: Is represented by 13 Members of Parliament in the House of Assembly , Zimbabwe's lower house of Parliament . The province's current MPs since the 2018 elections are Patrick Dube , CCC Mp , Levi Mayihlome , CCC MP , Edgar Moyo , Abednico Ncube , Soul Ncube , Nqobizitha Ndlovu , Albert Nguluvhe , Dingumuzi CCC MP , Spare Sithole , and Farai Taruvinga . All are members of ZANU–PF except for Dube, who represents
507-534: Is represented in the Senate by six senators, three of whom must be women. Senators are not directly elected by voters, but are instead selected by party lists via a proportional representation system. The province's current senators since the 2018 elections are Themba Mathuthu ( ZANU–PF ), Alma Mkwebu (ZANU–PF), Tambudzani Mohadi (ZANU–PF), Simon Khaya-Moyo (ZANU–PF), Bekithemba Mpofu ( MDC Alliance ), and Meliwe Phuthi (MDC Alliance). Matabeleland South
546-697: Is situated in the Kalahari Basin . In 1996, De Beers evaluated the potential of diamond mining at Gope. In 1997, the eviction of the San and Bakgalagadi tribes in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve from their land began. In 2006, a Botswana High Court ruled in favor of the San and Bakgalagadi tribes in the reserve, finding their eviction unlawful. The Government of Botswana granted a permit to De Beers' Gem Diamonds/Gope Exploration Company (Pty) Ltd. to conduct mining activities within
585-425: Is sub-humid rather than semi-arid in the north and east, where the dry forests, savannahs, and salt lakes prevail. South and west, where the vegetation is predominantly xeric savanna or even a semi-desert, the climate is "Kalaharian" semi-arid . The Kalaharian climate is subtropical (average annual temperature greater than or equal to 18 °C, at peaks reaching 40 °C and above, with mean monthly temperature of
624-713: Is the Roman Catholic mission school known as Sacred Heart Girls School , a boarding secondary school. This school was founded in 2014 and is run by the Sisters Of The Precious Blood who fall under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bulawayo , and came mainly from Germany shortly after the Second World War. Matabeleland South Province Matabeleland South is a province in southwestern Zimbabwe . With
663-399: Is the district capital of Umzingwane Rural District Council , which is responsible for running the affairs of the district as a whole. The trading centre is surrounded by ranches and mixed farms. The surrounding communities also host gold , dams and tungsten mines. The area has many rivers, although it suffers from long dry season and drought is common in this area. Average annual rainfall
702-529: The 2013 Constitution of Zimbabwe , which does not allow for provincial governors. The current Minister of State for Matabeleland South Province is Abednico Ncube , a ZANU–PF member who was appointed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in December 2017. Matabeleland South Province is divided into seven districts: Beitbridge , Bulilima , Gwanda , Insiza , Mangwe , Matobo , and Umzingwane . Like each of Zimbabwe's ten provinces, Matabeleland South Province
741-521: The MDC Alliance . Fast forward in 2023 now CCC and still under Nelson Chamisa the opposition made serious in roads and managed to wrestle 4 seats that is Mangwe- Matobo, Gwanda North ,Mangwe and Beitbridge west. What surprised the whole province is that opposition won Beitbridge West for the first time dating back from 2000. Also for the first time opposition shared with ZANU PF the senate seats and women quota, but still ZANUPF managed to win
780-569: The Minister of State for Matabeleland South Province , a de facto governor who oversees provincial affairs and sits in the House of Assembly of the Parliament of Zimbabwe . The governor is appointed by the President of Zimbabwe and is not appointed to a set term. Historically, the governor held the title Governor of Matabeleland South, but the office has since been renamed to align with
819-530: The Namib Desert to the west. There is little rainfall, and the summer temperature is very high. The driest areas usually receive 110–200 mm (4.3–7.9 in) of rain per year, and the wettest just a little over 500 mm (20 in). The surrounding Kalahari Basin covers over 2,500,000 km (970,000 sq mi) extending farther into Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa, encroaching into parts of Angola , Zambia and Zimbabwe . The climate
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#1732791148849858-454: The Okavango , flows into a delta in the northwest, forming marshes that are rich in wildlife. Ancient dry riverbeds—called omuramba —traverse the central northern reaches of the Kalahari and provide standing pools of water during the rainy season. A semi-desert, with huge tracts of excellent grazing after good rains, the Kalahari supports more animals and plants than a true desert, such as
897-589: The Kalahari "desert", but in the Kalahari basin, halophytic vegetation to the north is adapted to pans, lakes that are completely dry during the dry season, and maybe for years during droughts, such as in Etosha ( Etosha Pan halophytics AT0902) and Makgadikgadi ( Zambezian halophytics AT0908). A totally different vegetation is adapted to the perennial fresh water of the Okavango Delta , an ecoregion termed Zambezian flooded grasslands AT0907. The Kalahari
936-605: The Kalahari Desert was once a much wetter place. The ancient Lake Makgadikgadi dominated the area, covering the Makgadikgadi Pan and surrounding areas, but it drained or dried out some 10,000 years ago. It may have once covered as much as 120,000 square kilometres (46,000 sq mi). In ancient times, there was sufficient moisture for farming, with dikes and dams collecting the water. These are now filled with sediment, breached, or no longer in use, though they can be readily seen via Google Earth. The Kalahari has had
975-592: The Kalahari, there are three main mechanisms of atmospheric circulation, dominated by the Kalahari High anticyclone in winter, and by the Kalahari Heat Low in summer: There are huge subterranean water reserves beneath parts of the Kalahari; the Dragon's Breath Cave , for example, is the largest documented non-subglacial underground lake. Such reserves may partly be the residues of ancient lakes;
1014-758: The areas within the Kalahari are seasonal wetlands , such as the Makgadikgadi Pans of Botswana . This area, for example, supports numerous halophilic species, and in the rainy season, tens of thousands of flamingos visit these pans. The following protected areas were established in the Kalahari: The San people have lived in the Kalahari for 20,000 years as hunter-gatherers . They hunt wild game with bows and poisoned arrows and gather edible plants, such as berries, melons and nuts, as well as insects. The San get most of their water requirements from plant roots and desert melons found on or under
1053-603: The climate is drier, it becomes a true semi-desert with ground not entirely covered by vegetation: "open" as opposed to "closed" vegetation. Examples include the north of the ZF Mgcawu District Municipality , itself in the north of South Africa, and the Keetmanshoop Rural in the southeast of Namibia. In the north and east, dry forests cover an area of over 300,000 km in which Rhodesian teak and several species of acacia are prominent. These regions are termed Kalahari Acacia-Baikiaea woodlands AT0709. Outside
1092-548: The coldest month strictly below 18 °C), and is semi-arid with the dry season from April to September, the coldest six months of the year. It is the southern tropical equivalent of the Sahelian climate with the wet season during summer. The altitude has been adduced as the explanation why the Kalaharian climate is not tropical; its altitude ranges from 600 to 1600 meters (and generally from 800 to 1200 meters), resulting in
1131-429: The desert floor. They often store water in the blown-out shells of ostrich eggs. The San live in huts built from local materials—the frame is made of branches, and the roof is thatched with long grass. Most of their hunting and gathering techniques replicate pre-historic tribes. Bantu -speaking Tswana , Kgalagadi , and Herero and a small number of European settlers also live in the Kalahari desert. The city of Windhoek
1170-574: The edge of the Kalahari Desert , giving it an arid climate not hospitable to agriculture . The province sits on the edge of the Kalahari desert, hence it is arid and very dry. The province shares borders with South Africa and Botswana. As a result, there are Tswana, Sotho/Pedi, Venda, Shangani (Tsonga) and the Khoisan speaking people in the province. The other languages that are native in
1209-490: The nearest large city and largest urban centre in the province. The town sits along the Bulawayo–Beitbridge Road , approximately 82.5 kilometres (51 mi) northwest of the town of Gwanda . The geographical coordinates of the town are:20°17'33.0"S, 28°56'17.0"E (Latitude:-20.292500; Longitude:28.938056). Esigodini is located at an average elevation of 1,182 metres (3,878 ft), above mean sea level . Esigodini
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1248-525: The old transport hub of the late 20th century lost its familiarity and use with these two countries. 21°00′S 29°30′E / 21.000°S 29.500°E / -21.000; 29.500 Kalahari Desert The Kalahari Desert is a large semi-arid sandy savanna in Southern Africa extending for 900,000 square kilometres (350,000 sq mi), covering much of Botswana , as well as parts of Namibia and South Africa . It
1287-486: The protected (from cattle grazing) South African side of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park: these southernmost Kalahari xeric savanna areas are truly semi-deserts. However, in all the remaining Kalahari, except on salt pans during the dry season, the vegetation cover can be denser, up to almost 100%, in some limited areas. In an area of about 600,000 km in the south and west of the Kalahari,
1326-405: The province are Ndebele and Kalanga. Towns and villages in Matabeleland South include Antelope Mine , Beitbridge , Brunapeg , Colleen Bawn , Esigodini , Filabusi , Fort Rixon , Gwai , Gwanda , Kafusi , Kezi , Madlambudzi , Makhado , Maphisa , Masendu , Ndolwane , Plumtree , Shangani , Stanmore , Tshitshi , Bulu , West Nicholson , and Zezani . Matabeleland South is overseen by
1365-441: The province's largest ethnic group. Matabeleland South is bordered by Bulawayo and Matabeleland North to the north, Midlands to the northeast, Masvingo to the southeast, South Africa to the south, and Botswana to the west. It has an area of 54,172 square kilometres (20,916 sq mi), equal to 13.86% of the total area of Zimbabwe. It is the fourth-largest of the country's ten provinces in area. Matabeleland South sits on
1404-518: The vegetation is mainly xeric savanna . This area is the ecoregion identified by World Wide Fund for Nature as Kalahari xeric savanna AT1309. Typical savanna grasses include Schmidtia , Stipagrostis , Aristida , and Eragrostis ; these are interspersed with trees such as camelthorn ( Acacia erioloba ), grey camelthorn ( Acacia haematoxylon ), shepherd's tree ( Boscia albitrunca ), blackthorn ( Acacia mellifera ), and silver cluster-leaf ( Terminalia sericea ). In certain areas where
1443-407: The warmest month in any region in the Kalahari never exceeds 29 °C, though daily temperatures occasionally reach up to close to 45 °C (113 °F) (44.8 °C at Twee Rivieren Rest Camp in 2012). The dry season lasts eight months or more, and the wet season typically from less than one month to four months, depending on location. The southwestern Kalahari is the driest area, particularly
1482-410: The youth quota rep . Its economy is largely centered around subsistence farming and livestock farming . Droughts and a lack of economic opportunities have resulted in widespread poverty and migration out of the province. Transport The province has an important geographical location which can link Botswana to Malawi or South Africa to south Zambia through Bulawayo, but due to lack of investment,
1521-652: Was settled by Rozi Moyo people , who had moved here from the area near Gwanda . Nearby schools include Falcon College , a renowned secondary school for boys and Mzingwane High School , Mvuthu High School , Esikhoveni Secondary, Mawabeni Secondary, Longfied Secondary, and Mlomotsha while primary schools are Bayethe, Bezha, Bonjeni, Carlisle, Dobi, Doyana, Dula, Esigodini, Glen Grey, Godlwayo Annex, How Mine, Impu, Inyankuni, Irisvale, Isotsha, Kumbudzi, Longfield, Malungwane, Nsezi, Shale, Bezha, Zhilo, Swazi, Matshetshe, Mawabeni, Mbalabala, Mbizingwe, Mzinyathini, Mlomoliwoto, Mpisini, Mpofini, Mtshede, Munkula, Mvuthu,. Also nearby,
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