The Mzingwane River, formerly known as Umzingwane River or Umzingwani River, is a major left-bank tributary of the

Limpopo River The Limpopo River () rises in South Africa and flows generally eastward through Mozambique to the Indian Ocean. The term Limpopo is derived from Rivombo (Livombo/Lebombo), a group of Tsonga settlers led by Hosi Rivombo who settled in the mou ...

Zimbabwe file:Zimbabwe, relief map.jpg, upright=1.22, Zimbabwe, relief map Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Bots ...

. It rises near Fort Usher,

Matobo District Matobo, formerly known as Matopos, is a Districts of Zimbabwe, district of the Matabeleland South Provinces of Zimbabwe, province in southwestern Zimbabwe. References

Districts of Matabeleland South Province {{Zimbabwe-geo-stub ...

, south of

Bulawayo Bulawayo (, ; ) is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, and the largest city in the country's Matabeleland region. The city's population is disputed; the 2022 census listed it at 665,940, while the Bulawayo City Council claimed it to be about ...

and flows into the Limpopo River near

Beitbridge Beitbridge is a border town in the province of Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe. The name also refers to the border post and bridge spanning the Limpopo River, which forms the political border between South Africa and Zimbabwe. The border on the S ...

, downstream of the mouth of the

Shashe River The Shashe River (or Shashi River) is a major left-bank tributary of the Limpopo River in Zimbabwe. It rises northwest of Francistown, Botswana and flows into the Limpopo River where Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa meet.Bubye River The Bubye River, also known as Bubi River, is a tributary of the Limpopo River in Beitbridge District and Gwanda District, Zimbabwe. It rises about to the northeast of West Nicholson in Matabeleland South, from where it flows southeast before ...

Hydrology

The Mzingwane River is an ephemeral river with flow generally restricted to the months when rain takes place (November to March), with most flow recorded between December and February, except where it has been modified by dam operations. The river contributes 9.3% of the mean annual runoff of the Limpopo Basin, making it the third largest tributary to the Limpopo basin. Major tributaries of the Mzingwane River include the

Insiza Insiza District is one of the seven districts located in the Matabeleland South province of Zimbabwe. It is a rural area. Insiza District lies to the South East of Bulawayo and borders Gwanda District to the South, Zvishavane District to the eas ...

, Inyankuni, Ncema, Umchabezi (not to be confused with Mtshabezi) and Mtetengwe Rivers. The lower Mzingwane River is a sand filled channel, with extensive alluvial

aquifer An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing material, consisting of permeability (Earth sciences), permeable or fractured rock, or of unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, or silt). Aquifers vary greatly in their characteristics. The s ...

s in the river channel and below the alluvial plains. Estimated water resources potential of these aquifers ranges between in the channels and between in the plains. Currently, some of these aquifers are being used to provide water for domestic use, livestock watering and dip tanks, commercial irrigation and market gardening.

Settlements

The settlements below are ordered from the beginning of the river to its end: *

Mbalabala Mbalabala, originally known as Balla Balla, is a village on the main Beitbridge-Bulawayo road in uMzingwane district(at the junction with the Filabusi Road) in Matabeleland South providence, Zimbabwe. Situated approximately 41 miles (66 km ...

village *

Gwanda Gwanda is a town in Zimbabwe. It is the capital of the province of Matabeleland South, one of the ten administrative provinces in the country. It is also the district capital of Gwanda District, one of the seven administrative districts in th ...

town *

West Nicholson West Nicholson or Tshabezi is a town in the Matabeleland South Province of Zimbabwe. Location It is located in Gwanda District, along the Bulawayo–Beitbridge Highway, approximately , southeast of the town of Gwanda, where the district head ...

village *

town is located about 6 km ESE of the confluence of the Bubye River and the Limpopo on the border with

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. It was established in 1929.

Bridges and crossings

There are four main bridges over the Mzingwane River: * Bridge on main

road, between

Esigodini 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 ...

and

, downstream of Mzingwane Dam. There is also a rail bridge. * Bridge on main

Masvingo Masvingo, known as Fort Victoria during the colonial period, is a city in southeastern Zimbabwe and the capital of Masvingo Province. The city lies close to Great Zimbabwe, the national monument from which the country takes its name and clos ...

road. * Bridge on main

road at

, downstream of confluence with

Insiza River The Insiza River is the principal tributary of the Mzingwane River in Zimbabwe. It rises near Fort Rixon, Insiza, Insiza District, and flows into the Mzingwane River near West Nicholson. Hydrology The upper reaches of the Insiza are ephemera ...

. There is also a rail bridge. * Bertie Knott Bridge, on the road from

to Shashe Irrigation Scheme, near the mouth. There are also a number of fords, including: * Two fords upstream of

on Silalabuhwa and Mosholomoshe roads. * Doddieburn ford, downstream of

. * Gems Drift, near

. * Fulton's Drift, near

Development

In addition to a number of small

weir A weir or low-head dam is a barrier across the width of a river that alters the flow characteristics of water and usually results in a change in the height of the water level. Weirs are also used to control the flow of water for outlets of l ...

s, there are two major dams on the Mzingwane River: * Mzingwane Dam, built in 1962, with a full supply capacity of 42 MCM (

million cubic metre The cubic metre (in Commonwealth English and international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures) or cubic meter (in American English) is the unit of volume in the International System of Units (SI). Its symbol is m ...

s). It is located near the source of the river and supplies water to the city of

. * Zhovhe Dam, built in 1995, with a full supply capacity of 136 MCM. It is located near the confluence with the

and supplies water for irrigation to

Additional dam sites have been identified at Glassblock and Oakley Block, but development is not currently scheduled. A project is underway to construct a pipeline from the upper Mtshabezi River (not to be confused with Umchabezi River) to Mzingwane Dam.

References

{{Rivers of Zimbabwe Rivers of Zimbabwe Geography of Matabeleland South Province Tributaries of the Limpopo River