Attractions in Masvingo
Great Zimbabwe Monument
Dzimbadzamabwe – Houses of Stone
The ancient city of Great Zimbabwe, 27kms from Masvingo, is the largest and most significant ancient monument south of the Sahara. The Great Zimbabwe Monuments are the remains of a city of almost 20 000 Shona speaking people which prospered between the 12th and the 15th Century. The monument was built and developed approximately over a period of 600 years. The whole complex extends across 720 hectares.
From the layout of the structures of Great Zimbabwe, we can see that the design was not for fortification or defence but simply a tribute to the power and authority of the rulers of the time.
So great was Great Zimbabwe that there was much controversy over the originator or builders of the city. Claims that the city was a creation of the Phoenicians or that it was the lost city of Ophir brought hungry treasure seekers looking out for gold.
Unfortunately, all the treasure hunters succeeded in doing was destroying the chance for future archaeologists to examine the pottery fragments and other clues that would have been evidence as to the exact nature of the use of the structure.
The Great Zimbabwe can be divided into three parts, The Hill Complex, The Valley Enclosures and the Great Enclosure.
a) Hill Complex
This is the place where all kings who once ruled Great Zimbabwe used to stay. The royal enclosure is found at the top of the hill and royal remains such as gold, ceremonial spears were found during excavations. A ritual enclosure is situated to the eastern side of the hill and is accessible from the recess enclosure. Rain making ceremonies could have been conducted in this enclosure. Six soapstone carvings of Zimbabwe birds were also found in this enclosure.
b) Valley Enclosures
The enclosures are in the valley between Great Enclosure and the Hill complex. These are low levelled enclosures that are close to each other. It is believed that the junior wives of the King used to stay in this area. This was a polygamous state as the King could have many wives to show his power and wealth. A considerable number of artefacts were discovered in this valley including the soapstone carvings of the Zimbabwe bird which is now the national symbol.
c) The Great Enclosure
This is the largest pre-colonial structure in Southern Africa. Its outer wall is 252m in circumference and stands about 11m high in other areas and 4 to 5meters wide. The Great Enclosure could have been used as the residence of the senior wife of the King. The elaborated chevron pattern shows the experience in stone building and the purpose of the famous conical tower has remained a subject of conjecture although it is greatly believed that it was a symbol of abundant royal wealth.
d) The Shona Village
The village portrays the Shona lifestyle which is quickly vanishing in today’s lives. Traditional Dancing groups entertain and educate visitors.
Lake Mutirikwi and Kyle Recreational Park
Lake Mutirikwi is the largest inland lake in Zimbabwe formerly known as Lake Kyle.
Distance from nearest City: 25km from Masvingo City
The story of Kyle is intimately bound to the Triangle Sugar Estates. The Lake is formed by Mutirikwi and Mushagashe Rivers where they meet at a point 40kms from Masvingo. This Lake was built in 1961 and from this point in time the Lake has been providing water to the City of Masvingo, as well as providing water activities to both local and international tourists. Main water activities at Lake Mutirikwi include Bass Fishing, Skiing, boating, yachting, and game viewing by boat. Apart from Water Sports the Lake is a waterhole for the many different species of animals housed at the adjacent Kyle Recreational Park. The park is scenically one of the most attractive parks in the Country, its major attractions being a thriving white rhino population. The absence of predators and elephants allows for an environment of undisturbed trees and a flourishing game population. The best way to view the game is on horseback. The park tops the cake with icing by having beautiful thatched self-catering lodges.
Gonarezhou National Park
Gonarezhou is Zimbabwe’s second largest national park. It is over 5000 square kilometers of pristine wilderness.
Distance from nearest City: 193km from Masvingo City
Gonarezhou National Park, as the area is known today, has an incredibly rich and turbulent history from early human settlements by the Shangaan (Tsonga) people, to the ivory trade, later becoming a game reserve in 1935 before being proclaimed a National Park in 1975. Gonarezhou is in the remote southeast corner of Zimbabwe on the border with Mozambique, with which it shares a 100 km boundary. The park forms an integral part of one of the largest conservation areas in the world- the Greater Limpopo Transfrointier Park (GLTP), established in 2002. GLTP joins some of the iconic national parks of Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and South Africa. The Park, known as “the place of elephants”, is home to over 11,500 of these gentle giants, one of the highest densities of pachyderms in any protected area in Africa. History talks of elephants taller than the trees and whilst this may be a stretch – several uniquely impressive individuals still roam the wilderness of Gonarezhou, descendants of the famed bulls of yesteryear such as “Dhulamiti” (the one who is taller than the trees). Apart from being “the place of elephants”, Gonarezhou is home to a rich diversity of species with several unique and range limited species. The Park is home to over 450 species of birds, 89 large mammal species, 61 small mammals, over 50 fish species, 116 identified reptile species and 34 amphibian species. Of these species, some 15 are classified as vulnerable, 6 endangered and 5 as critically endangered species.
CHESVINGO KARANGA VILLAGE (a Community based Tourism Project
Chesvingo Karanga Village is the centre for the preservation of Karanga Culture for both present and future generation
Opening Times: 6am to 6pm
Chesvingo Karanga Village is the centre for the preservation of Karanga Culture for both present and future generation. It provides tangible and intangible heritage base for the Zimbabwean culture. At the Village tourists can experience the traditional music, dances, games and diverse foods. Tourists can also visit ancient granaries, caves and rock paintings which depicts our past and are a lesson to the new generation. Distance from City Centre: 40kms along Great Zimbabwe Road towards Kyle Dam Wall.
Kwa VaMuzenda –Kuma R
Historically, this is the first African Township in the then Rhodesia now Zimbabwe.
Distance from City Centre: 6km
Built in 1892, with red bricks and thatched cone shaped roofs. Construction was supervised by members of the Pioneer column who had arrived in 1890 led by Colonel Frank Johnson who named the first town Fort Victoria (after Queen Victoria). They later moved to a new site, now Masvingo in 1892. The bricks were molded with water from Mucheke River where the township derived its name from. The term “Kuma R” refers to Round Red brick faced rondavels. • The huts historically built in the sense of inhuman nature and true sense of the colonist mind towards a black man, then called a slave. • Some of the huts were used to accommodate more than two families in one hut. • The huts were built with no living standards for many or family habitation. • The Simon Muzenda house is still existing and was renovated. • It was officially opened in Dec 2016. • The museum includes Muzenda’ s vehicle, he used in Mozambique with Cde R.G Mugabe, Cde Tekere and others. • There is also Benjamin Urombo Bus stop, KwaVaMuzenda Bus Stop.
The Italian Chapel (Chapel of St. Francis)
This Chapel was built by the Italian Prisoners of war of the 5th Camp extension cap of Masvingo during the years 1942 and 1946 in memory of their fellow-men. Most of the prisoners of war originated from Ethiopia. During the years 1942 and 1946 in memory of their fellow-men. Most of the prisoners of war originated from Ethiopia. Here the remains of 71 prisoners of war who died in captivity are interred. Other camps were situated in Harare, Kadoma, Gweru, Mvuma, Shurugwi and Chipinge. The paintings and Mosaics of the apse are the works of an Italian Civil Engineer, who was himself a prisoner of War. A caretaker is on duty every day. A mass is celebrated each Saturday morning and each year on the 1st Sunday in November, a special memorial service is held in honour of those Italians who died in the two World Wars.The Chapel of St Francis is situated approximately 5kms from the Information Centre along the Mutare Road.
St. Andrews Chapel
Above the Mutirikwi Dam Wall stands the little beautiful St. Andrews Chapel, overlooking the hillside where there are attractively laid out gardens, in mid-winter the aloes are a wonderful sight. The Chapel was built by a former water bailiff in memory of his daughter who was killed in a motor accident. The Chapel contains seven different types of minerals mined in the Masvingo district and is probably the smallest chapel in the Country.
TUGWI-MUKOSI DAM
The purpose of the dam is to supply irrigation water to the sugar estates, resettled and communal farmers. The Dam shall also be used for power generation (15 megawatts) and other Tourism opportunities (boating, agro-tourism, accommodation facilities, fishing, mountain climbing, cable cars, harbors etc.) The main feature of the project is that the concrete faced rock-fill-dam is the first of its type in Zimbabwe and is now the highest dam and the largest inland in the country, with a potential for generating power. Location: Tugwi- Mukosi dam is on the Tokwe River, 800m downstream of the Tokwe River and Mukosi confluence Distance to TOKWE-MUKOSI: (113km from Masvingo city) Masvingo -90km- Ngundu-15km- tokwe (Gororo area) turnoff-8km- Tokwe dam
Chamavara Rock Paintings
The “huge human figure” which dominates the paintings is unique in Zimbabwe rock art.
The site is also interesting, along with Dengeni Cave in the Zaka area and Rumwandi Rock Shelter (formerly called Impey’s Cave) as they were intensively studied by Leo Frobenius and Henri Breuil, both pioneers of rock art research in Southern Africa.
Both denied a local origin for the rock paintings and saw Egyptian or Minoan influences and used their interpretations, however faulty, of these rock art paintings to provide evidence for their theories.
Henry Breuil often referred to as Abbé Breuil, wrote over six hundred publications illustrating many with his own copies of cave paintings and engravings and is well-known for introducing the caves of Lascaux and Altamira in southern France and northern Spain to the general public. He made three visits to Southern Africa in 1929, 1942 and 1947 visiting many parts of South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Lesotho and Zimbabwe. It is no exaggeration to say he was captivated by the rock art he saw, describing this period as "the most thrilling years of my research life" and undertook three expeditions to Namibia and Zimbabwe between 1947 and 1950. Abbé Breuil returned to France in 1952 and produced a series of publications sponsored by the South African Government which contained valuable photographs and sketches of the sites he visited, but are flawed by the elaborate scenarios he attributed to "white" artists. In 1953 he announced his discovery of a painting about 6,000 years old, subsequently dubbed "The White Lady" under a rock overhang in the Brandberg Mountains of Namibia and a theory that it had been painted by Egyptians, or some other Mediterranean people, who had improbably made their way thousands of miles into the Namibian mountains. In 1966, in collaboration with Mary Boyle, he published Volume Five of The Rock Paintings of Southern Africa which covered Zimbabwe and the Masvingo district and which continued the improbable theme that an ancient tribe of Europeans that once inhabited Africa had painted the art; an interpretation that was not accepted by most contemporary archaeologists. It did not seem implausible to Breuil that the Minoans, a Bronze Age civilisation that arose on the island of Crete and flourished from 2700 to 1450 BC, left no other traces of their passage than the rock art paintings. He ignored the signs that the rock paintings represent the lifestyle of the San hunter-gatherers of the region. Local archaeologists were sceptical, but were reluctant to argue openly with one of the world’s foremost rock art researchers. The figure’s head is outlined in white paint, with white lines and shapes drawn within the facial area. Henri Breuil speculated on the figures’ features; he saw an “Arab” veil and headband over a metal headband and visor, rolls of cloth around his body and “baggy trousers” with pointed “Hittite” shoes and thought the figure was “proto-Semite” or “proto-Ethiopian” of the time of Abraham.
Finger Rocks
It is also referred to as “Munwe WaMwari”.
Munwe WaMwari is one of the highest points in Masvingo seen from as far as Bikita. It has fascinating caves and at the bottom is a pool that never dries, according to the Chigumbu family in whose farm Munwe WaMwari is found.
Morgenster Mission
The history of the college dates back to 1891 when missionaries established Morgenster Mission. The present site of Morgenster Mission was unexplored and the missionaries were inspired to stay and spread the word of God in the hospitable environment of Chief Mugabe area. Initial efforts to train teachers were impeded by language barriers. The situation was stabilized when Reverend Henry Murray with a Bachelor of Arts degree joined the college as the first officially commissioned Principal in 1911. Lay preachers established the vision of the college which was anchored on Christianity. A number of significant developments within the institution were spearheaded by various principals who worked at this Reformed Church in Zimbabwe run institution since its inception.
Dutch Reformed Church (DRC) missionary, Andries Adriaan Louw, established DRC’s first mission station in Southern Rhodesia at Morgenster in 1891. Despite poor health and not yet being ordained, Louw was the only one to answer the call for missionaries by Reverend S.P. Helm following Helm’s exploratory trip to Mashonaland the prior year.
Louw set off by ox-cart in April 1891 accompanied by seven Sotho-speaking African evangelists. After a laborious journey of several months, they reached Chief Mugabe’s mountain near the Great Zimbabwe ruins. With the Chief’s permission, a mission was established on 9 September 1891 about 35 km from Fort Victoria (Masvingo).
The mission was named Morgenster (meaning morning or day star) after the house Louw grew up in his hometown of Paarl, Cape Colony. The mission was granted 6000 acres the following year by Dr. Jameson, the British South Africa Company’s administrator of the territory.
Louw’s wife, Cinie, later joined him and they began their ministering among the Karanga. Five years later, the first two converts were baptized. The work grew rapidly and within ten years of their arrival, in 1901, the first outstation (prayer house), Pamushana, was established. The first presbytery meeting of the Church in Mashonaland was held in 1918.
A mission school was started in 1892. A school for evangelists was begun in 1925 with Reverend Henry Murray (Sr) as the first lecturer. A seminary was established in 1936.
The first African pastor, Rev. Ezra Shumba, was trained and admitted to the ministry in the late 1930s. As of 1936, the mission already employed one thousand school teachers, who were required not only to educate children, but also to spread the Gospel.
By 1948, schools for girls, the deaf and dumb, and another for the blind, had also been established. A printing press was installed at Morgenster to enable the Church to provide mission literature in the vernacular language.
DRC began one of the earliest medical missions in the territory when it opened a hospital at Morgenster in 1894 with the arrival of medical missionary Dr. John T. Helm. Dr. Helm also ministered to lepers, starting a voluntary leper settlement at Morgenster in 1899. By 1912, the number of leper patients had grown to 40. In 1913, the government removed the lepers to a farm in the neighboring Native Reserve.
Dr. M. H. Steyn arrived at Morgenster in 1924. Under his supervision, the John Helm Memorial hospital (1930) and Cinie Louw Memorial hospital (1934) were established. In recognition of his many years of service, Dr. Steyn was awarded the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1951.
Morgenster Mission was handed over to local control on 4 May 1977, which at that time consisted of the Teachers College, schools, hospitals, Theological College, printing press, Mabuku (department of church bookshops), Munyai Washe (the Christian church magazine), Penya (the evangelism outreach program) and farm.
Zion Christian Church
Zion Christian Church (ZCC) is one of the oldest independent African churches in Zimbabwe.
It was established when Reverend Samuel Mutendi received spiritual baptism in 1913. Rev. Samuel Mutendi (1880 – 1976) was born and grew up in the province of Fort Victoria (now Masvingo) when the country was still Southern Rhodesia under British colonial rule. Samuel Mutendi was visited by the Holy Spirit in 1913 whilst working as a policeman for the British South African Police (BSAP) in what was then called Hartley (now Chegutu). His selfless dedication to Christian mission, his powerful preaching of the Word of God amongst the African people and his amazing gift of spiritual healing have been chronicled since colonial Rhodesia. After 63 years of Christian ministry preaching around the country Samuel Mutendi died in 1976 and his eventful end and promotion to glory has been the subject of dialogue and testimony for the past four decades.
The Zion Christian Church (ZCC) Mbungu shrine situated in Masvingo has been certified as a religious tourism shrine by Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Engineer Walter Mzembi. Speaking at the event, Minister Mzembi said the shrine is held in high esteem. “The tourism sector improves through cultural elements which is an important component of economic and social activities. The first Religious Tourism World Congress that was held in October 2006 estimated that the market is worth US$18 billion annually. An estimated 300-350 million tourists visit places for religious reasons. “We have inexhaustible religious tourist resources and the shrine adds another dimension to the tourism sector. All this sprung from our faith which does not contradict with our faith and culture,” Mzembi said. He commended ZCC Bishop Mutendi for leading the Church and coming up with the idea he equated to Mecca and St. Peter’s Brasilica. “The Mbungu shrine is reminiscent of Saudi Arabia’s Mecca and Italy’s St. Peter’s Brasilica and it is going to be a reference centre for pilgrimage in Sub-Saharan Africa for all people seeking spiritual meaning in lives. It is also going to synergize spiritual significance and business. Mbungu as a religious tourism shrine is an additional feature on Masvingo’s tourist attractions such as Lake Mutirikwi; Great Zimbabwe and other wildlife conservancies.” He also said the shrine will reinforce pilgrimage that happens annually even at the Hohani Marange Apostolic sect. “Locally, we have the Johanne Marange Apostolic sect that attracts huge numbers on annual meetings in Manicaland. They attract people from other countries and we look forward to ZCC growing in other countries,” explained Minister of Tourism and Hospitality. He also said the Tourism Ministry and Zimbabwe Tourism Authority will work hand-in-hand and market the site to attract functions that benefit the church and the local community. He donated a giant public viewing area screen at the shrine for people to see proceedings of the church and conferences.
Subscribe for membership
A person desiring to join the Association shall lodge the Secretary an application form together with the prescribed subscriptions