Mwenezi River

Mwenezi River is a major tributary of the Limpopo River. The Mwenezi River starts up in south central Zimbabwe and flows south-east along what is known as the Mwenezi River Valley that bisects the district into two sectors.[2][3] The river is found in both Zimbabwe and Mozambique. In Zimbabwe it has been known as the Nuanetsi or Nuanetzi River in the past, a name it retains in Mozambique.[4]

Mwenezi River
Mwenezi River in Zimbabwe lowveld
Mwenezi
Location of the Mwenezi River's mouth
Location
CountryZimbabwe, Mozambique
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationInsiza District, South Central Zimbabwe
 • elevation154 m (505 ft)
Mouth 
 • location
Limpopo River
Basin size14,759 km2 (5,698 sq mi)
Discharge 
 • average14.34 mm/a (0.565 in/year) (unit flow)[1]

The river flows through Gonarezhou National Park on its way to joining the mighty Limpopo River. The Mwenezi river is a major tributary and flows north–south. They do not meet in Zimbabwe, but converge to a distance of 20 km downstream into Chicualacuala District, Mozambique. In between is the Sengwe Communal Land in Chiredzi District of Masvingo Province, mostly a flat and undulating area around 300 m in altitude.

Hydrology
View upstream from the bridge on main Masvingo - Beitbridge road, near Rutenga.

The Mwenezi River is a river with an intermittent flow generally restricted to the months when rain takes place (November to April), with most flow recorded between December and February, except where it has been modified by dam operations.[5] The river contributes 6.7% of the mean annual runoff of the Limpopo Basin, making it the third largest tributary to the Limpopo basin.[6]

Its major tributaries are the Dinhe, Manyoshi, Mtedzi, Mhondi, Makugwe, Sosonye, Sovoleli, Malole, Mwele and Mushawe rivers.

Cities, towns and settlements along the river

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

Bridges and crossings
Ford on the Mwenezi River at Mazetese, upstream of Manyuchi Dam.

There are four main bridges over the Mwenezi River:

  • Bridge on main Masvingo - Beitbridge road, near Rutenga. There is also a rail bridge.
  • Bridge on Chegato - Mataga road
  • Bridge on Dinhe - Neshuro road
  • Bridge near Malipati on road from Chikombedzi

There are also a number of fords.

Development
Water released from Manyuchi Dam, Mwenezi.

In addition to a number of small weirs, there is one major dam on the Mwenezi River: Manyuchi Dam in Mwenezi (District), which supplies water to Rutenga and for the irrigation of sugar cane. Water released from the Manyuchi Dam is taken up for these users at Rinette Weir.

Two additional dam sites have been identified between Manyuchi Dam and Mwenezi village, but development is not currently scheduled.[7]

Wildlife
A hamerkop on the banks of the river. The locals call it 'Kondo' and there are songs about it., 2006

The river supports a diverse range of wildlife, including herons, hippos and Nile crocodiles. A number of people lose their lives to these crocodiles, as well as countless domestic animals like goats, calves and donkeys.[8]

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See also

References
  1. Görgens, A.H.M. and Boroto, R.A. 1997. Limpopo River: flow balance anomalies, surprises and implications for integrated water resources management. In: Proceedings of the 8th South African National Hydrology Symposium, Pretoria, South Africa.
  2. Mwenezi River & tributaries in Mwenezi (District) Archived 18 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Flora of Zimbabwe (accessed 20 February 2008)
  4. Ministério da Administração Estatal 2005. Perfil do Distrito de Chicualacuala, Província de Gaza, page 2 "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 November 2008. Retrieved 8 August 2008.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. Love, D., Uhlenbrook, S., Nyabeze, W., Owen, R.J.S., Twomlow, S., Savenije, H. , Woltering, L. and van der Zaag, P. 2005. Modelling of hydrological change for IWRM planning: case study of the Mzingwane River, Limpopo Basin, Zimbabwe. In: Abstract Volume, 6th WaterNet/WARFSA/GWP-SA Symposium, Ezulwini, Swaziland, November 2005, p31.
  6. Görgens, A.H.M. and Boroto, R.A. 1997. Limpopo River: flow balance anomalies, surprises and implications for integrated water resources management. In: Proceedings of the 8th South African National Hydrology Symposium, Pretoria, South Africa.
  7. Chibi, T., Kandori, C. and Makone, B.F. 2005. Mzingwane Catchment Outline Plan. Zimbabwe National Water Authority, Bulawayo.
  8. Crocodile Attack (accessed 19 February 2008)
  • Flora of Zimbabwe

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