Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

Bulawayo, in Zimbabwe, is second in size only to the capital city of Harare. It sits at an elevation of 1,358 m/4,455 ft. The city website is http://citybyo.co.zw/. The area was originally selected by King Lobengula. He was the last of the Matebele Kings. The government house is currently located on the exact spot where he claimed.

It had a population of 653,337 when the census was done in 2012. By 2016, the population had gone up to 1,200,337. It is divided into 4 districts, 29 Wards and 156 suburbs. The style of government is Provincial Municipality. In 2016, Solomon Mguni was the mayor.

Lore is that Bulaway means "the place of slaughter". This is not true. it came from ko Bulawayo which means "I am he who is persecuted and rejected" because Lobengula suffered as he ascended the throne in a civic conflict.

Timeline

1840 Settled

November 4, 1893 Colonial Forces take control of Lobengula's home

June 1, 1894 Dr. Jameson, while standing on Fife st., in front of Maxim Hotel, declares it a town

September 1894 All people of colour are prohibited from using pavemented areas

March - August 1896 Uprising makes for many battles around the area

1894 - 1897 Cape of Good Hope Municipal Act of 1882 provides for the board made up of 50 % elected officials that run the area

October 27, 1897 Incorporated into a town

November 23, 1897 Nine Councillors for Town Council elected for the first time

November 24, 1897 Mayor I H HIrschler appoints first Town Council

November 11, 1903 Petition, for Native Vigilence Board to provide African representation for the area, was ignored

December 24 - 30, 1929 Manyika Riots

August 1941 First Native Advisory Board elected

November 4, 1943 Incorporated into a city

June 30, 1944 Bulawayo takes in Hillside Management Board

April 1948 General Strike

October 22, 1948 Boards of Sauerstown, Kenilworth and Rowena are incorporated into Bulawayo

July 24 - 27, 1960 Zhii Riots begin ongoing civil unrest that lasts until 1962

June 1961 Rodesian Front Government stops proposal for direct African representation in Council

1968 African representation and involvement allowed in City Affairs and Township Advisory

April 1, 1970 Greater Bulawayo incorporates boards of Bellevue, Waterford, Northvale, Richmond, Burnside, Woodville, Hyde Park Farms and Valley Farms

1979 Residential area segregations removed

August 16, 1979 M Ndubiwa was appointed the first African in a senior position when he was made Deputy Town Clerk

April 18, 1980 Independence

November 9 - 10, 1980 Battle of Bulawayo/Entumbane I

February 8 - 12, 1981 Battle of Bulawayo/Entumbane II

June 12, 1981 N K Ndlovu made first African Mayor

1984 M Ndubiwa appointed Town Clerk

June 4, 1986 Aberdeen, Scotland is twinned with Bulawayo

December 22, 1987 Political stability due to Unity Accord

October 19, 1996 A N T Siwela made first Executive Mayor

September 23, 2011 Bulawayo twinned with Durban, South Africa

October 19, 2012 Made Sister City with Polokwane, South Africa

Sources

* Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulawayo

* Bulawayo City Website: http://citybyo.co.zw/