ZIMBABYE – The Trip

Zimbabwe May 12-18, 2023

Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozambique to the east. The capital and largest city is Harare. The second largest city is Bulawayo. A country of roughly 15 million people, Zimbabwe has 16 official languages, with English, Shona, and Ndebele the most common. Beginning in the 9th century, during its late Iron Age, the Bantu people (who would become the ethnic Shona) built the city-state of Great Zimbabwe; the city-state became one of the major African trade centres by the 11th century, controlling the gold, ivory and copper trades with the Swahili coast, which were connected to Arab and Indian states. By the mid 15th century, the city-state had been abandoned.^[16] From there, the Kingdom of Zimbabwe was established, followed by the Rozvi and Mutapa empires.
The British South Africa Company of Cecil Rhodes demarcated the Rhodesia region in 1890 when they conquered Mashonaland and later in 1893 Matabeleland after a fierce resistance by Matabele people known as the First Matabele War. Company rule ended in 1923 with the establishment of Southern Rhodesia as a self-governing British colony. In 1965, the white minority government unilaterally declared independence as Rhodesia. The state endured international isolation and a 15-year guerrilla war with black nationalist forces; this culminated in a peace agreement that established universal enfranchisement and de jure sovereignty as Zimbabwe in April 1980. Zimbabwe then joined the Commonwealth of Nations, from which it was suspended in 2002 for breaches of international law by its government under Robert Mugabe and from which it withdrew in December 2003.
Mugabe became Prime Minister of Zimbabwe in 1980, when his ZANU–PF party won the general election following the end of white minority rule; he was the President of Zimbabwe from 1987 until his resignation in 2017. Under Mugabe’s authoritarian regime, the state security apparatus dominated the country and was responsible for widespread human rights violations.^[17] From 2000 to 2009 the economy experienced decline and hyperinflation before rebounding after the use of currencies other than the Zimbabwean dollar was permitted, although growth has since faltered. On 15 November 2017, in the wake of over a year of protests against his government as well as Zimbabwe’s rapidly declining economy, Mugabe was placed under house arrest by the country’s national army in a coup d’état, and Mugabe resigned six days later. Emmerson Mnangagwa has since served as Zimbabwe’s president.

Capital. Harare 17°49′45″S 31°03′08″E
Languages. 16 languages: the most notable being English, Shona and Ndebele – the three official languages prior to constitutional reform in 2013. Shona is the most widely spoken language, even in Harare. Generally, almost everybody can speak English quite well, even older people and school children. There are also numerous but minor tribal dialects – Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, “Koisan” (presumably Tsoa), Nambya, Ndau, Shangani, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa
Ethnic groups. 99.38% Black African (mainly Shona and Ndebele), 0.22% White African, 0.18% Coloured, 0.08% Asian, 0.02% Other, 0.01% Not stated
Area. 390,757 km² (150,872 sq mi) (60th). Water 1%
Population. 15,121,004 (73rd). Density 39/km² (101.0/sq mi)
GDP (PPP). $42.4 billion (131st). Per capita $2,627 (175th)
GDP (nominal). $29.9 billion (110th). Per capita $1,85. (154th)
Gini. 50.3 high
HDI. 0.593 medium · 146th
Currency. Zimbabwean dollar, U.S. dollar ($) (USD), South African rand; Other currencies
Driving Side. Left
Calling code. +263

Visas.
Category A (countries/territories whose nationals do not require visas): For a stay of up to 6 months: Hong Kong SAR. For a stay of up to 3 months: Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Congo (DRC), Cyprus, Fiji, Grenada, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malaysia, Malawi, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Namibia, Nauru, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadies, Swaziland, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu and Zambia
Category B (countries whose nationals are granted visas at the port of entry on payment of the requisite visa fees): Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana (Gratis), Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Iceland, India, Iran , Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Palau Island, Palestine (State of), Papua New Guinea, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Seychelles, Slovak Republic, South Africa (Gratis), South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City and Virgin Islands
Visa fees at the port of entry for Category B nationals are as follows: US$30 (single entry), US$45 (double entry), US$55 (multiple entry) – a valid passport, travel itinerary, return/onward journey ticket and cash payment must be presented. Note that Canadian citizens are able to obtain single entry visas only on arrival at a cost of US$75, whilst British and Irish citizens pay higher fees for a visa on arrival (US$55 for single entry and US$70 for double entry). Visas appear not to be required for minors accompanied by a parent even though border personnel at land border crossings do not typically seem to be aware of this. Simply ask for it and you might be able to save the fee.
Category C (countries whose nationals are required to apply for and obtain visas prior to travelling): Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazzaville, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde Islands, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros Islands, Congo (Brazzaville), Costa Rica, Conakry, Cote d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Djibouti Republic, El Salvador, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, French Guiana, French Polynesia, French West Indies, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Gibraltar, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Madagascar, Mali, Marshall Islands, Macedonia, Mauritania, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Niue, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Taiwan, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turk and Caicos Islands, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Yugoslavia
Visas can be obtained at Zimbabwean embassies/consulates. The fees for a visa vary between US$30 and 180 and depend on the applicant’s nationality.

MONEY. Zimbabwean dollar ZWD. 1 US$ = 361 ZWD, 1€ = 402 ZWD, 1CA$ = 268.6 ZWD. xe.com May 2023
Zimbabwe legalised the use of foreign currencies as legal tender, thus negating the need for the inflation-ravaged Zimbabwe Dollar, which has now been withdrawn from circulation.
The US dollar ($) is now the official currency for governmental transactions in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe has introduced a local issue of Bond Notes to supplement the current money supply. In supermarkets, you may be given change in Rand, chewing gum, water, or sweets if there is US coins available.
It used to be cash only but credit cards are accepted in many businesses, especially upscale restaurants and hotels,, but not in gas stations. Withdraw money at Standard Chartered or Stanbik ATMs. USD cash for fuel. Bring R10 and R20 notes to pay Zim toll fees as it’s either US$2 or R30 a toll, which is cheaper. Forex is a good money changer.
Zambia has a bureau de change that changes notes at the Vic Falls border. Malawian officials tell you to use the touts outside, so weird. They gave good rates for Zambian Kwacha, OK for USD and terrible for Rands.
The South African rand (R), Botswanan pula (P), Pound sterling (£), Euro (€), Indian rupee (₹), Australian dollar (A$), Chinese yuan (元/¥), and Japanese yen (¥) are also legal tender in the country but only US$ or Rand are used.
It is still best to bring plenty of cash.
As for prices, non-imported things are very cheap (especially labour intensive things), however for a tourist drinking coke and eating pizza, prices are not that much lower than in South Africa.
Haggling for a better price is common, but keep in mind that most people are very poor.

SIM card. Econet in Zimbabwe with 5 Gb $10. The phone networks are very hit and miss and often are not available. 
Climate. Tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (Nov-Mar). Although there are recurring droughts, floods and severe storms are rare. There is a lot of rain.
Zambezi valley has extreme heat
Eastern Highlands usually cool temperatures and the highest rainfall
rainy season generally runs from late October to March and the hot climate is moderated by increasing altitude. Zimbabwe is faced with recurring droughts. The most recent one began early in 2015 and lasted into 2016. In 2019, at least 55 elephants died because of the drought
Highlands are known for their natural environment, with tourist destinations such as Nyanga, Troutbeck, Chimanimani, Vumba and Chirinda Forest at Mount Selinda. About 20% of the country consists of low-lying areas, (the low veld) under 900m. Victoria Falls, one of the world’s biggest and most spectacular waterfalls, is located in the country’s extreme northwest and is part of the Zambezi river.

Observations Zimbabwe
1. Zimbabwe is a pleasant surprise. Expecting a totally dysfunctional country, Bulawayo especially is quite attractive with many streets divided by boulevards or a parking area and many attractive buildings presumably left over from Rhodesia days. There are many upscale hotels, businesses and restaurants. One can walk through very nice neighbourhoods with lovely houses, all surrounded by walls with razor wire, gates and guards, and many converted into businesses.
There is a very active informal economy with people selling everything. It is not uncommon though, as a white person, to be frequently approached by people wanting money. They complain about costs and because of sanctions, external products may be expensive.
There is no crime and virtually no police presence.
2. People. Extremely friendly, expect everyone to greet you “Hello, how are you?” and plan on exchanging the greeting as they consider it inconsiderate to not. However it gets a little tiring saying this to everyone, all total strangers.
Most women have elaborate hair attachments or wigs (the ones with straight hair), false nails and false eyelashes.
All school kids wear uniforms and Zim’s kids have the nicest – nice jackets, sweaters, ties.
3. Food. Street food is very cheap. I ate three times at the Fairy Cafe in Bulawayo with excellent food, priced reasonably. One company has the Chicken Inn, Pizza Inn, Dairy Inn and other chains with stores together and good well priced fast food. One odd thing was that a vanilla milkshake there was $3, a lime was #3.50 and chocolate was $4. One litre of UHT milk is US$4, about the price of four litres at home.
Selling food on the street is very common and most often soft drinks and fruit. There is an awful lot of bananas about to go bad.
4. Driving. The roads are generally of good quality. But expect stretches with many potholes (usually filled in). The road north from Misvingo is brand new pavement with fast driving. Speed limits are 100 highway and 80 in towns with no police or radar. Some drivers travel much faster and I usually averaged around 120.
There is little traffic on the highways, mostly large trucks and buses. Car rentals have per day milage limits which can make rentals expensive if driving far.
Parking in the cities is all pay for and there is an army of enforcers ($1/hour). They clamp your wheels for non-payment.

ZIMBABWE – MATABELAND (Bulawayo, Gwanda, Victoria Falls)
Borders: Botswana-Zimbabwe, South Africa-Zimbabwe, Zambia-Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe (river/lake)

Day 1 Fri May 12
I stayed at Cafe Zambezi in Livingston, Zambia (dorm room 180 ZK, clean, expensive restaurant, warm shower). Up at 05:30, I met an American woman from Detroit, a nurse practitioner working for the Peace Corps. She wanted to go to Victoria Falls so we went together. Taxi 10 km to the border (100 ZK). Easy exit through Zambia. Walked 2 km to the Zimbabwe side. Normally require accommodation but he ignored that. Visa US$75 paid with old US$100. Full page visa. 

MOSI-OA-TUNYA – VICTORIA FALLS  WHS Among the most spectacular waterfalls in the world. The Zambezi River, which is more than 2 km wide at this point, plunges noisily down a series of basalt gorges and raises an iridescent mist that can be seen more than 20 km away.Exceptional geological and geomorphological features, the spray, mist and rainbows. This transboundary property extends over 6860 ha and comprises 3779 ha of the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park (Zambia), 2340 ha of Victoria Falls National Park (Zimbabwe), 741 ha of the riverine strip of Zambezi National Park (Zimbabwe). A riverine strip of the Zambezi National Park extending 9 km west along the right bank of the Zambezi and islands in the river are all within the Park as far as Palm and Kandahar Islands, with the Victoria Falls being one of the major attractions. The waterfall stands at an altitude of about 915 m above mean sea level (a.m.s.l.) and spans to about 1708 m wide with an average depth of 100 m and the deepest point being 108 m. Sprays from this giant waterfall can be seen from a distance of 30 km from the Lusaka road, Zambia and 50 km from Bulawayo road, Zimbabwe.
Basalts have been cut by a river system producing a series of eight spectacular gorges that serve as breeding sites for four species of endangered birds. The basalts of the Victoria Falls World Heritage property are layered unlike those of the Giants Causeway World Heritage site which are vertical and columnar.

Khami Ruins National Monument WHS Khami, which developed after the capital of Great Zimbabwe had been abandoned in the mid-16th century. Khami was a major centre for trade over a long period of time.
22 km from the City of Bulawayo on a 1300 m hilltop downstream from a dam built during 1928-1929, covers an area of about 108 ha, spread over a distance of about 2 km from the Passage Ruin to the North Ruin.
It was the capital of the Torwa dynasty, which arose from the collapse of the Great Zimbabwe Kingdom between 1450 -1650 and was abandoned during the Ndebele incursions of the 19th century. It is composed of a complex series of platforms of dry-stone walled structures, emulating a later development of Stone Age culture. The chief’s residence (Mambo) was located towards the north on the Hill Ruin site with its adjacent cultivation terraces. The population lived in daga huts of cobwork, surrounded by a series of granite walls. These structures display a high standard of workmanship, a great number of narrow passageways and perambulatory galleries and impressive chevron and chequered wall decorations.
Follow Google Maps until it directs you to Khami Prison to the right. Ignore that and follow the good signs, first on broken pavement and then a 2.3 km single track dirt road. Park at the Monolith Platform, a wall at the base of a dirt platform backed by a big rock. Walk down the wide path to the Game board, a small flat-topped rock in some large boulders. There are about 30 eroded “cups” on the rock. Continue down the path to the Passage Platform, a series of dry stone walls with a narrow passage at the bottom. Continue to the Observation Point for good panoramic views and the best views of the Dam Wall Precipice Platform, a long stone wall that fronts the lake. It has elaborate decorations, the longest decorated wall in the entire sub-region. I drove down the road to the entrance station and saw the small museum with some dioramas. $10
Long-distance historic trade links with the Portuguese, Spanish porcelain, Rhineland stoneware and Ming porcelain, many of which are on display in the Museum of Natural History in Bulawayo. There is also a monumental granite cross which illustrates the contact with missionaries at a traditionally revered and sacred spiritual site.

MATOBO HILLS WHS. This area boasts exquisite rock formations, as if nature had been playing marbles. Rocks are found balancing in ways that defy logic, a situation created by the eroding winds blowing out the sand between. These granite kopjes and wooded valleys commencing some 35 km (22 mi) south of Bulawayo in southern Zimbabwe. The hills were formed over 2,000 million years ago with granite being forced to the surface, then being eroded to produce smooth “whaleback dwalas” and broken kopjes, strewn with boulders and interspersed with thickets of vegetation. Mzilikazi, founder of the Ndebele nation, gave the area its name, meaning ‘Bald Heads’. They have become a tourist attraction due to their ancient shapes and local wildlife. Cecil Rhodes and other early white colonists like Leander Starr Jameson are buried in these hills at a site named World’s View.
Matopos is gorgeous and a perfect stop on the way from the Falls to other places (Harare, Great Zimbabwe).
Profusion of distinctive large boulders provide abundant natural shelters and have been associated with human occupation from the early Stone Age. Outstanding collection of rock paintings. The local community still uses shrines and sacred places. 35 km south of Bulawayo are a profusion of distinctive granite landforms, densely packed into a comparatively tight area, that rise up to form a sea of hills. Their forms have resulted from the varied composition, alignment and erosion of the granite rocks uninterrupted association between man and his environment over the past 100,000 years.
Rock art dates back at least 13,000 years.
The Mwari religion is still practiced with the Matobo rocks seen as the seat of god and of ancestral spirits.
The rocks are home to the dassie, a small rodent-type animal known more formally as Rock Hyrax, the skins of which are used to make a blanket treasured amongst the local populace. Also present in great numbers are the brightly coloured lizards common to Zimbabwe. The area has two dams that become the scene of family picnics, and angling competitions on weekends. A game park is home to herds of sable antelope, an animal not seen further south.
Stop at the national park gate and pay $15. I started on the circle drive but only went to World’s View and the Cecil Rhodes grave.
World’s View. Park and climb past an inset stone THIS GROUND IS CONSECRATED AND SET APART FOR EVER AS THE RESTING PLACE OF THOSE HOW HAVE DESERVED WELL OF THEIR BEAUTY. Sit on the bench and look and down and across to a sea of hills and interspersed rocks.
Rhodes Grave. Then walk along the edge on a well-worn path on the rock to the hill covered with large boulders to the Cecil Rhodes grave. There was a German/Swiss/Austrian tour group of 40. There were many spectacularly coloured lizards – blue fading to green. Walk down to the large stone monument with great bronze bas-reliefs on each side. I walked back to a lovely sunset.
Matobo Hills Rock Paintings. The hills are associated with folklore and tradition; some being venerated as dwelling places of the spirits of departed Ndebele chiefs. The hills contain numerous caves (notably Bambata, Nswatugi, and Silozwane) with Khoekhoe paintings, and there are Stone and Iron Age archaeological sites.
Locating the different caves and rock paintings in the Matopo Hills is nearly impossible on your own and the use of an experienced guide is highly recommended. Ian Harmer of the company African Wanderer has lived in Zimbabwe for more than a dozen generations. His email address is wanderer@yoafrica.com and his mobile phone 263-772-224069.
while the paintings and etchings were often done with varying degrees of artistic ability, their purpose was not artistic but rather shamanic, ceremonial and therapeutic. Two, while the paintings and etchings did indeed have various shamanic, ceremonial and therapeutic functions, they are better understood to be markers of specific geographic places of power, spirit and energy.
Nswatugi Caves/Matopo Hills. If there is only time for one rock site in the Matobo National Park, this is probably the one to visit. Three iconic shaded polychrome giraffe are amongst the best and most delightfully coloured in Zimbabwe.
Getting there. From the National Park Reception head towards Maleme Dam, 1.7 km turn left at the junction facing the Dam and cross the wall, 3.7 km reach road junction and turn right to go north. The signpost says 7 km but it is better to stop at 1.6 km where the signpost on the left indicates Nswatugi Cave and take the path rather than driving the long way around to the Site Museum. The climb is quite short and easy along a well-marked path marked on the granite with green arrows.  GPS reference for car park: 20⁰32′08.54″S 28⁰28′42.42″E

CECIL JOHN RHODES. (1853 – 1902) was a British mining magnate and politician in southern Africa who served as Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1896.
An ardent believer in British imperialism, Rhodes is notably quoted as having said “to be born English is to win first prize in the lottery of life”. He and his British South Africa Company founded the southern African territory of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe and Zambia), which the company named after him in 1895. South Africa’s Rhodes University is named after him. He also devoted much effort to realising his vision of a Cape to Cairo Railway through British territory. Rhodes set up the provisions of the Rhodes Scholarship, since its inception open to all races, which is funded by his estate. Often acknowledged by historians as a British supremacist, Rhodes believed that natives of the Cape existed in a state of barbarism.
The son of a vicar, Rhodes was born in Hertfordshire. A sickly child, he was sent to South Africa by his family when he was 17 years old in the hope that the climate might improve his health. He entered the diamond trade at Kimberley in 1871, when he was 18, and, thanks to funding from Rothschild & Co, began to systematically buy out and consolidate diamond mines. Over the next two decades he gained near-complete domination of the world diamond market, forming a massive monopoly. His diamond company De Beers, formed in 1888, retains its prominence into the 21st century.
Rhodes entered the Cape Parliament at the age of 27 in 1881, and in 1890, he became prime minister. During his time as prime minister, Rhodes used his political power to expropriate land from black Africans through the Glen Grey Act, while also tripling the wealth requirement for voting under the Franchise and Ballot Act, effectively barring black people from taking part in elections. After overseeing the formation of Rhodesia during the early 1890s, he was forced to resign in 1896 after the disastrous Jameson Raid, an unauthorised attack on Paul Kruger’s South African Republic (or Transvaal). Rhodes’s career never recovered; his heart was weak and after years of poor health he died in 1902. He was buried in what is now Zimbabwe; his grave has been a controversial site.
In his last will, he provided for the establishment of the prestigious international Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University, the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. Every year it grants 102 full postgraduate scholarships. It has benefited prime ministers of Malta, Australia and Canada, United States President Bill Clinton, and many others. During his political career he successfully confiscated land from the indigenous population of the Cape Colony, and falsely claimed southern African archeological sites such as Great Zimbabwe were built by European civilisations instead. With the strengthening of international movements against racism, such as Rhodes Must Fall and Black Lives Matter, Rhodes’ legacy is a matter of debate to this day.
Details. In October 1871, 18-year-old Rhodes and his 26-year-old brother Herbert left the colony for the diamond fields of Kimberley in Northern Cape Province. Financed by N M Rothschild & Sons, Rhodes succeeded over the next 17 years in buying up all the smaller diamond mining operations in the Kimberley area.
His monopoly of the world’s diamond supply was sealed in 1890 through a strategic partnership with the London-based Diamond Syndicate. They agreed to control world supply to maintain high prices. Rhodes supervised the working of his brother’s claim and speculated on his behalf. Among his associates in the early days were John X. Merriman and Charles Rudd, who later became his partner in the De Beers Mining Company and the Niger Oil Company.
During the 1880s, Cape vineyards had been devastated by a phylloxera epidemic. The diseased vineyards were dug up and replanted, and farmers were looking for alternatives to wine. In 1892, Rhodes financed The Pioneer Fruit Growing Company at Nooitgedacht, a venture created by Harry Pickstone, an Englishman who had experience with fruit-growing in California. The shipping magnate Percy Molteno had just undertaken the first successful refrigerated export to Europe. In 1896, after consulting with Molteno, Rhodes began to pay more attention to export fruit farming and bought farms in Groot Drakenstein, Wellington and Stellenbosch. A year later, he bought Rhone and Boschendal and commissioned Sir Herbert Baker to build him a cottage there. The successful operation soon expanded into Rhodes Fruit Farms, and formed a cornerstone of the modern-day Cape fruit industry.
During his years at Oxford, Rhodes continued to prosper in Kimberley. Before his departure for Oxford, he and C.D. Rudd had moved from the Kimberley Mine to invest in the more costly claims of what was known as old De Beers (Vooruitzicht). It was named after Johannes Nicolaas de Beer and his brother, Diederik Arnoldus, who occupied the farm.
In 1874 and 1875, the diamond fields were in the grip of depression, but Rhodes and Rudd were among those who stayed to consolidate their interests. They believed that diamonds would be numerous in the hard blue ground that had been exposed after the softer, yellow layer near the surface had been worked out. During this time, the technical problem of clearing out the water that was flooding the mines became serious. Rhodes and Rudd obtained the contract for pumping water out of the three main mines.
On 13 March 1888, Rhodes and Rudd launched De Beers Consolidated Mines after the amalgamation of a number of individual claims. With £200,000 of capital, the company, of which Rhodes was secretary, owned the largest interest in the mine (£200,000 in 1880 = £22.5m in 2020 = $28.5m USD). Rhodes was named the chairman of De Beers at the company’s founding in 1888. De Beers was established with funding from N.M. Rothschild & Sons in 1887.
Politics in South Africa. Rhodes chose the rural and predominately Boer constituency of Barkly West, which would remain loyal to Rhodes until his death. When Rhodes became a member of the Cape Parliament, the chief goal of the assembly was to help decide the future of Basutoland and restore order after the 1880 rebellion known as the Gun War. The Sprigg ministry had precipitated the revolt by applying its policy of disarming all native Africans to those of the Basotho nation, who resisted.
In 1890, Rhodes became Prime Minister of the Cape Colony. He introduced various Acts of Parliament to push black people from their lands and make way for industrial development. Rhodes’s view was that black people needed to be driven off their land to “stimulate them to labour” and to change their habits. “It must be brought home to them”, Rhodes said, “that in future nine-tenths of them will have to spend their lives in manual labour, and the sooner that is brought home to them the better.”
In 1892, Rhodes’s Franchise and Ballot Act raised the property requirements from a relatively low £25 to a significantly higher £75 which had a disproportionate effect on the previously growing number of enfranchised black people in the Cape under the Cape Qualified Franchise that had been in force since 1853. By limiting the amount of land which black Africans were legally allowed to hold in the Glen Grey Act of 1894, Rhodes further disenfranchised the black population. To quote Richard Dowden, most would now “find it almost impossible to get back on the list because of the legal limit on the amount of land they could hold”. In addition, Rhodes was an early architect of the Natives Land Act, 1913, which would limit the areas of the country where black Africans were allowed to settle to less than 10%. At the time, Rhodes would argue that “the native is to be treated as a child and denied the franchise. We must adopt a system of despotism, such as works in India, in our relations with the barbarism of South Africa.”
Rhodes also introduced educational reform to the area. His policies were instrumental in the development of British imperial policies in South Africa, such as the Hut tax.
Rhodes did not, however, have direct political power over the independent Boer Republic of the Transvaal. He often disagreed with the Transvaal government’s policies, which he considered unsupportive of mine-owners’ interests. In 1895, believing he could use his influence to overthrow the Boer government, Rhodes supported the Jameson Raid, an unsuccessful attempt to create an uprising in the Transvaal. The raid was a catastrophic failure. It forced Cecil Rhodes to resign as Prime Minister of the Cape Colony, sent his oldest brother Col. Frank Rhodes to jail in Transvaal convicted of high treason and nearly sentenced to death, and contributed to the outbreak of the Second Boer War.
The British Empire. Rhodes used his wealth and that of his business partner Alfred Beit and other investors to pursue his dream of creating a British Empire in new territories to the north by obtaining mineral concessions from the most powerful indigenous chiefs. Rhodes’ competitive advantage over other mineral prospecting companies was his combination of wealth and astute political instincts, also called the “imperial factor,” as he often collaborated with the British Government. He befriended its local representatives, the British Commissioners, and through them organized British protectorates over the mineral concession areas via separate but related treaties. In this way he obtained both legality and security for mining operations. He could then attract more investors. Imperial expansion and capital investment went hand in hand.
The imperial factor was a double-edged sword: Rhodes did not want the bureaucrats of the Colonial Office in London to interfere in the Empire in Africa. He wanted British settlers and local politicians and governors to run it. This put him on a collision course with many in Britain, as well as with British missionaries, who favoured what they saw as the more ethical direct rule from London. Rhodes prevailed because he would pay the cost of administering the territories to the north of South Africa against his future mining profits. The Colonial Office did not have enough funding for this. Rhodes promoted his business interests as in the strategic interest of Britain: preventing the Portuguese, the Germans or the Boers from moving into south-central Africa. Rhodes’s companies and agents cemented these advantages by obtaining many mining concessions, as exemplified by the Rudd and Lochner Concessions.
Treaties, concessions and charters. Rhodes had already tried and failed to get a mining concession from Lobengula, King of the Ndebele of Matabeleland assuring him that no more than ten white men would mine in Matabeleland. This limitation was left out of the document, known as the Rudd Concession, which Lobengula signed. Furthermore, it stated that the mining companies could do anything necessary to their operations. When Lobengula discovered later the true effects of the concession, he tried to renounce it, but the British Government ignored him.
During the company’s early days, Rhodes and his associates set themselves up to make millions (hundreds of millions in current pounds) over the coming years through what has been described as a “suppressio veri … which must be regarded as one of Rhodes’s least creditable actions”. Contrary to what the British government and the public had been allowed to think, the Rudd Concession was not vested in the British South Africa Company, but in a short-lived ancillary concern of Rhodes, Rudd and a few others called the Central Search Association, which was quietly formed in London in 1889.
Armed with the Rudd Concession, in 1889 Rhodes obtained a charter from the British Government for his British South Africa Company (BSAC) to rule, police, and make new treaties and concessions from the Limpopo River to the great lakes of Central Africa. He obtained further concessions and treaties north of the Zambezi, such as those in Barotseland (the Lochner Concession with King Lewanika in 1890, which was similar to the Rudd Concession); and in the Lake Mweru area (Alfred Sharpe’s 1890 Kazembe concession). Rhodes also sent Sharpe to get a concession over mineral-rich Katanga, but met his match in ruthlessness: when Sharpe was rebuffed by its ruler Msiri, King Leopold II of Belgium obtained a concession over Msiri’s dead body for his Congo Free State.
Rhodes also wanted Bechuanaland Protectorate (now Botswana) incorporated in the BSAC charter. But three Tswana kings, including Khama III, travelled to Britain and won over British public opinion for it to remain governed by the British Colonial Office in London. Rhodes commented: “It is humiliating to be utterly beaten by these niggers.”
The British Colonial Office also decided to administer British Central Africa (Nyasaland, today’s Malawi) owing to the activism of David Livingstone trying to end the East African Arab-Swahili slave trade.
Rhodesia. The BSAC had its own police force, the British South Africa Police, which was used to control Matabeleland and Mashonaland, in present-day Zimbabwe. The company had hoped to start a “new Rand” from the ancient gold mines of the Shona. Because gold deposits weren’t as plentiful as they had hoped, many of the white settlers who accompanied the BSAC to Mashonaland became farmers rather than miners. White settlers and their locally-employed Native Police engaged in widespread indiscriminate rape of Ndebele women in the early 1890s.
The Ndebele and the Shona—the two main, but rival, peoples—took advantage of the absence of most of the BSAP for the Jameson Raid in January 1896; they separately rebelled against the coming of the European settlers, and the BSAC defeated them in the Second Matabele War. Rhodes went to Matabeleland after his resignation as Cape Colony Premier, and appointed himself Colonel in his own column of irregular troops moving from Salisbury to Bulawayo to relieve the siege of whites there. He remained Managing Director of the BSAC (with power of attorney to take decisions without reference back to the Board in London) until June 1896, defying Chamberlain’s calls to resign, and he gave instructions that no mercy be shown in putting down the rebellion, telling officers that “Your instructions are” he told a major, to “do the most harm you can to the natives around you.” He ordered a police officer to “kill all you can”, even those Ndebele who begged for mercy and threw down their arms… Shortly after learning of the assassination of the Ndebele spiritual leader, Mlimo, by the American scout Frederick Russell Burnham, and after participating in the cavalry charge at one of the last pitched battles of this phase of the war, Rhodes’ associate Johan Colenbrander arranged for a meeting with the remaining Ndebele chiefs. Rhodes and a few colleagues walked unarmed into the Ndebele stronghold in Matobo Hills.^[54] In a series of meetings between August and October, he persuaded the Impi to lay down their arms, thus ending the Second Matabele War.
In the aftermath of the war in Matabeleland, they were able to blackmail Chamberlain into retaining the BSAC Charter, leaving the Company in charge of administering the territory north of the Limpopo even as it became a Crown Colony. Rhodes returned to Mashonaland, further overseeing the suppression of the uprising there into 1897. The scandal attached to his name did not prevent him rejoining the board of the BSAC in 1898. He remained an MP in the Cape Parliament and a Privy Councillor.
By the end of 1894, the territories over which the BSAC had concessions or treaties, collectively called “Zambesia” after the Zambezi River flowing through the middle, comprised an area of 1,143,000 km² between the Limpopo River and Lake Tanganyika. In May 1895, its name was officially changed to “Rhodesia”, reflecting Rhodes’s popularity among settlers who had been using the name informally since 1891. The designation Southern Rhodesia was officially adopted in 1898 for the part south of the Zambezi, which later became Zimbabwe; and the designations North-Western and North-Eastern Rhodesia were used from 1895 for the territory which later became Northern Rhodesia, then Zambia. He built a house for himself in 1897 in Bulawayo.
Rhodes decreed in his will that he was to be buried in Matopos Hills (now Matobo Hills). After his death in the Cape in 1902, his body was transported by train to Bulawayo. His burial was attended by Ndebele chiefs, now paid agents of the BSAC administration, who asked that the firing party should not discharge their rifles as this would disturb the spirits. Then, for the first time, they gave a white man the Matabele royal salute, Bayete. Rhodes is buried alongside Leander Starr Jameson and 34 British soldiers killed in the Shangani Patrol. Despite occasional efforts to return his body to the United Kingdom, his grave remains there still, “part and parcel of the history of Zimbabwe” and attracts thousands of visitors each year.
Rhodes explicitly stipulated in his will that all races should be eligible for the scholarships. It is said that he wanted to develop an American elite of philosopher-kings who would have the United States rejoin the British Empire. As Rhodes also respected and admired the Germans and their Kaiser, he allowed German students to be included in the Rhodes scholarships. He believed that eventually the United Kingdom (including Ireland), the US, and Germany together would dominate the world and ensure perpetual peace.
Rhodes’s views on race have been debated; he supported the rights of indigenous Africans to vote, but critics have labelled him as an “architect of apartheid” and a “white supremacist”, particularly since 2015. Despite his support for what became the basis for the apartheid system, he is best seen as a cultural or minimal racist”.
Personal life. Rhodes never married, pleading, “I have too much work on my hands” and saying that he would not be a dutiful husband. Author Robin Brown has claimed in The Secret Society: Cecil John Rhodes’s Plan for a New World Order that Rhodes was a homosexual who was in love with his private secretary, Neville Pickering, and that he established “… a homosexual hegemony—which was already operative in the Secret Society—[and] went on to influence, if not control, British politics at the beginning of the twentieth century”. Paul Maylam of Rhodes University criticised the book in a review for The Conversation as “based heavily on surmise and assertion” and lacking “referenced source material to substantiate its claims”, as well as being riddled with basic factual errors.
Second Boer War. During the Second Boer War Rhodes went to Kimberley at the onset of the siege but the military felt he was more of a liability than an asset and found him intolerable. Despite these differences, Rhodes’ company was instrumental in the defence of the city, providing water and refrigeration facilities, constructing fortifications, and manufacturing an armoured train, shells and a one-off gun named Long Cecil. Rhodes used his position and influence to lobby the British government to relieve the siege of Kimberley, claiming in the press that the situation in the city was desperate. The military wanted to assemble a large force to take the Boer cities of Bloemfontein and Pretoria, but they were compelled to change their plans and send three separate smaller forces to relieve the sieges of Kimberley, Mafeking and Ladysmith.
Death. From age 40 his heart condition returned with increasing severity until his death from heart failure in 1902, aged 48, at his seaside cottage in Muizenberg. The government arranged an epic journey by train from the Cape to Rhodesia, with the funeral train stopping at every station to allow mourners to pay their respects. It was reported that at Kimberley, “practically the entire population marched in procession past the funeral car”. He was finally laid to rest at World’s View, a hilltop located approximately 35 kilometres (22 mi) south of Bulawayo, in what was then Rhodesia. Today, his grave site is part of Matobo National Park, Zimbabwe.
Legacy. Rhodes has been the target of much recent criticism, with some historians attacking him as a ruthless imperialist and white supremacist. The continued presence of his grave in the Matopos hills has not been without controversy in contemporary Zimbabwe.
Rhodes’s final will—when he actually did have money—was much more realistic and focused on scholarships. He also left a large area of land on the slopes of Table Mountain to the South African nation. Part of this estate became the upper campus of the University of Cape Town, another part became the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, while much was spared from development and is now an important conservation area.
Rhodes Scholarship. In his last will, he provided for the establishment of the Rhodes Scholarship. The scholarship enabled male students from territories under British rule or formerly under British rule and from Germany to study at Rhodes’s alma mater, the University of Oxford. Rhodes’ aims were to promote leadership marked by public spirit and good character, and to “render war impossible” by promoting friendship between the great powers.

I returned to Bulawayo in the dark. I had dinner at Fairy Café, an upscale restaurant. The beef schnitzel with mashed potatoes was excellent. This place is quite the social scene with groups of dressed up women coming here and having their photos taken.

ON Sterling Hotel for the second night.

I didn’t see
Naletale Cluster of Dzimbabwes Tentative WHS In south-central Zimbabwe 90 km south of Gweru. Consists of multiple drystone walled settlement centres between the 16^th and 18^th centuries. Walls have the highest number of decorations on individual walls. These decorations include herringbone, cord, checker, banded ironstone, chevron, and double herringbone. These sites are attributed to the Shona, a branch of the Bantu in southern Africa. These settlements are referred to as MaDzimbabwe reflecting the culture of building settlement structures with granite blocks without any binder.
Several ancient mining sites for gold and copper bangles, iron and copper spears, needles and various other metal objects. Naletale – one of the most beautiful and well decorated drystone walled site in southern Africa. There are six decorations that have been recorded on the walls of Naletale. Naletale has been dated to the 17^th and 18^th. It consists of a main enclosure with an elliptical wall, about 60 metres in diameter. Some of the decorations on this wall include chevron, herringbone, cord, checkers and the use of alternating coloured stone inserts. Naletale architecture displays high levels of craftsmanship, creativity and imagination in the drystone walling of southern Africa. However, it is anticipated that research at the site will help illuminate on the position of Naletale within the cluster and help relate it to other Zimbabwe culture sites such as Khami and Great Zimbabwe.

I didn’t see
Vestiges of the Past
Danamombe Ruins
Matobo Hills Rock Paintings
Naletale
Nswatugi Caves/Matopo Hills
World of Nature
Chete Safari Area
Chizarira NP
Hwange National Park. Located between Victoria Falls and Bulawayo, the park boasts more than 100 different animal species and over 400 species of birds. It is one of the few great elephants sanctuaries in Africa with over 30,000 elephants.
Kazuma Pan NP
Matobo NP
Zambezi NP
Lake Kariba, Located on the northern border of Zimbabwe, formidable Lake Kariba is the result of a large damming project along the Zambezi River. Kariba is a popular tourist destination and affords visitors the opportunity to watch African wildlife in its almost natural environment. It is the biggest source of hydro-electric power for Zimbabwe. If you are travelling with friends or family consider hiring a houseboat for a few days to really experience everything the lake and the wildlife have to offer.
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Day 3 Sun May 17

ZIMBABWE – MANICALAND, MASVINGO, MIDLANDS (Mutare)
Borders: Mozambique-Zimbabwe, South Africa-Zimbabwe

Day 3 Sun May 14
I left at 10 for the 311 km drive to The Great Zimbabwe. The road was very good with rare potholes.

ZIMBABWE – MANICALAND, MASVINGO, MIDLANDS (Mutare)
Borders: Mozambique-Zimbabwe, South Africa-Zimbabwe

Great Zimbabwe National Monument WHS. The capital of the Queen of Sheba, according to an age-old legend – are a unique testimony to the Bantu civilization of the Shona. The city, which covers an area of nearly 80 ha, was an important trading centre and was renowned from the Middle Ages onwards.
Stop at the entrance to buy the ticket – $15 entry and $6 for a guide. My guide was Miriam who had a 4-year tourism degree and a 4-year education degree.
30 km from Masvingo at 1100 m. Built between 1100 and 1450 AD, extends over almost 800 ha and is divided into three groups: the Hill Ruins, the Great Enclosure and the Valley Ruins.
The Hill Ruins, huge granite mass atop a spur; continuously inhabited from the 11th to 15th centuries. Rough granite rubble-stone blocks form distinct enclosures, accessed by narrow, partly covered, passageways. This acropolis is generally considered a ‘royal city’; the west enclosure is thought to have been the residence of successive chiefs and the east enclosure, where six steatite upright posts topped with birds were found, considered to serve a ritual purpose. Walk up the “ancient path” that goes through a very narrow gap between two giant boulders. The modern path near the ruins was called the Watergate path as it was used to access a spring. I went up and down the ancient path.
The museum has several dioramas, tools, and most importantly, all 8 royal posts (one for each of the 8 kings) carved with bird heads, wings and chevron markings. All but one (a replica) had been repatriated from foreign museums. There were no lights in the museum so we saw things by the light of our phones.
The Great Enclosure, an ellipsis, is located to the south of the hill and dates to the 14th century. It was built of cut granite blocks, laid in regular courses, and contains a series of daga-hut living quarters, a community area, and a narrow passage leading to a high conical tower. The bricks (daga) were made from a mixture of granitic sand and clay. Huts were built within the stone enclosure walls; inside each community area other walls mark off each family’s area, generally comprising a kitchen, two living huts and a court. The 200 m long walls are an astonishing 11 metres tall, 5 m wide at the base and with a few ventilation holes.
The Valley Ruins are houses that date to the 19th century – most brick, dry stone masonry walls. high standard of craftsmanship, incorporating an impressive display of chevron and chequered wall decorations.
In the 14th century, it was the principal city of a major state extending over the gold-rich plateaux; its population exceeded 10,000 inhabitants. About 1450, the capital was abandoned because the hinterland could no longer furnish food for the overpopulated city and because of deforestation. The resulting migration benefited Khami, which became the most influential city in the region, but signaled waning political power. When in 1505 the Portuguese settled in Sofala, the region was divided between the rival powers of the kingdoms of Torwa and Mwene-Mutapa.
Archaeological excavations have revealed glass beads and porcelain from China and Persia, and gold and Arab coins from Kilwa which testify to the extent of long-standing trade with the outer world. Other evidence, including potsherds and ironware, gives a further insight to the property’s socio-economic complexity and about farming and pastoral activities. A monumental granite cross, located at a traditionally revered and sacred spiritual site, also illustrates community contact with missionaries.

Lake Mutirikwe

MASVINGO
ON Backpackers Rest. A very low-end place with dorm ($10) and single rooms ($20). No wate. I took a single room with shared bathroom. The mattress was significantly lower in the middle. Although hard, I had a good night’s sleep.

Day 4 Mon May 15
I decided to drive another route back to Bulawayo via Gweru. Drive on a new 4-land divided, then 2-lane for almost 100 km at 130. Then old pavement and eventually lots of shallow potholes. I picked up a young woman and her aunt going to a funeral. They asked me to come. It was outside in a family compound – singers, women cooking lunch, and most of the neighborhood standing around talking. Zimbabweans are very social and I chatted to two groups of men. The ceremony started with two pastors, family and neighbors talked, they viewed the body in an open casket and I eventually left.

GWERU
Boggie’s Memorial Clock Tower. A nice two-tone green tower with a small clock face on all four sides.
Military Aircraft Museum. Actually just an aviation museum with two wrecked passenger planes outside and some military jets in a large steel framed building. $4
I had pizza for the second meal in a row and continued on to Bulawayo.
In Bulawayo, I ate again at the Fairy Café and had chicken schnitzel with mashed potatoes. $10 excellent.

ON Sterling Hotel for the third time. The hotel allowed me to stay until 4 pm.

Day 4 Tue May 16
My computer was still not fixed as the screen Steve was able to obtain was not compatible (cost $450 + $50 repair fee). The hotel let me stay around till the late afternoon. Steve was able to obtain a second screen but this one was $550. It was finally ready at 4 pm.
I returned to the Fairy Café for chicken schnitzel with mashed potatoes and it was as good the second time. The waiter was also superb.
I walked over to get the Inter Africa bus to Bulawayo $13. It was supposed to leave at 19:30 but didn’t until full at 20:30. It was a modern bus but the seats not that comfortable and sleep difficult. The driver and the guy in the front seat talked loudly for the entire way. Loud religious videos played the entire time.

I didn’t see
M@P 
Chipinge district (Manicaland south)
Gokwe north district (Midlands extreme north)
Tentative WHS: Ziwa National Monument (26/06/1997). Evidence of human occupation from hunter-gatherer periods of the Stone Age to the historical times. Stone Age deposits, rock art sites; early farming communities settlements; a landscape of later farming communities marked by terraces and field systems, hill forts, pit structures and stone enclosures (100+), iron smelting and forging furnaces and numerous remains of daub-plastered housing structures.
Roads, Road Bridges and Tunnels: Road – A5: Bulawayo-Gweru-Harare
KWEKWE
Museums – Various: Kwekwe: National Mining Museum
MUTARE World Cities and Popular Towns
History, Culture, National and City Museums: Mutare: Mutare Museum
House and Biographical Museums: Mutare: Utopia House Museum
Religious Temples: Mutare: Holy Trinity Cathedral
Religious Monuments: Mutare: Cross Kopje
VUMBA*
Castles, Palaces, Forts: Vumba: The Castle
Botanical Gardens: Vumba Botanical Gardens
Pedestrian and Historical Bridges: Mutarazi Falls Skywalk
World of Nature: Chipinge Safari Area, Gonarezhou NP, Gonarezhou Transfrontier Park, Lake Mutirikwi (formerly Lake Kyle) Recreational Park, Mtarazi Falls NP, Nuanetsi Game Ranch,
Nyanga National Park. Rolling green hills and perennial rivers transverse the 47 000 hectare Park. Nyanga National Park can provide the visitor with an unforgettable holiday experience. , Savé Valley Conservancy, Vumba Botanical Reserve
Waterfalls: Mutarazi Falls
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Day 5 Wed May 17
I hardly slept on the bus. We arrived in Harare at 03:30 but nobody got off the bus. After 30 minutes I asked why we were waiting and they told me we were actually in Harare. Amazed, I got a taxi to It’s a Small World Backpackers (3.5 km, $5). There was someone at the gate and I went to bed.
This was a day I hoped to solve my Malawi visa issues by walking to the Malawi Embassy and trying to sort things out. It was a 2.5 km walk to the embassy. 

ZIMBABWE – MASHONALAND (Central, East, West – Harare)
Borders” Mozambique-Zimbabwe, Zambia-Zimbabwe

HARARE 
Airports: Harare (HRE)
I visited the Malawi Embassy to see about organizing the e-visa hoping to bypass the onerous requirements. The nice lady there told me to write a letter stating my inability to get letters from a host and accommodation. She obviously was able to influence the visa as it was approved the same day. 
National Botanical Gardens. It was a long 2.7 km walk here. Once I reached the west gate, I had to walk another 400 m to the public gate. Actually called the National Herbarium, it is a large gardens of mature trees and yellow grass. $2

ON It’s a Small World Backpackers. A lovely hostel with private rooms opening onto a terrace with a green swimming pool, a 16-bed dorm and a tree house with a lovely bedroom and bathroom. Bathrooms are shared, there is a good kitchen, bar, several seating areas, TV with a great selection of channels including several news channels, and good meals including a good English BF ($6). The grounds have a large collection of serpentine sculptures. A large metal giraffe, elephant and 2 zebras are on the boulevard outside.
An attractive and interesting Dutch woman seems to run the place but denies she is the manager. She is an excellent cook. She has a Land Rover with a roof-top tent completely outfitted for overlanding and sleeps in her tent, not in the hostel (a true minimalist). The only negative is that it is about a 3 km walk to downtown. $12

Day 6 Thur May 18
I had my usual walk about to see the NM sites in Harare. Today was National Museum day and the two museums I saw were free. 
Holy Trinity Orthodox Church. A Greek Orthodox church, it has many icons all in lovely dark brown wood. Frescoes on the walls.
Zimbabwe Museum of Human Sciences. Small exhibits on evolution, Stone age to Iron age, ethnology, stuffed birds and animals. Not very iuteresting. Free today
Joina City. In the NM Architectural Delights, this is a 4-story shopping centre with a high rise attached. Nothing special. Has a Fairy Cafe.
Sacred Heart Cathedral. Built in 1963, this is a nice stone Anglican church with a large square bell tower and clock faces on all sides. The inside is very nice with 7 double stone arches per side, large stone arches above and a lot of stone around the altar, a blue dome at the cross, parquet wood floors, a baptismal pool, and unusually for an Anglican church the Ways of the Cross done in a cartoonish style set in stone frames. Restricted hours 12:45-2:00 everyday, Sunday 07:30-08:30 and 9-11am.
National Gallery of Zimbabwe. Two main exhibits: one by Moffat Tajadewa entitled “Vestiges of Colonialism”, large wall contoured wall mosaics of computer keys, tooth brushes and ball point pen innards, hanging structures of tooth paste tubes and a collage of coloured tooth brushes on the floor. There is another very nice exhibit of serpentine sculpture by Tengenenge craftsmen, some very nice. Many large sculptures on a the platform fronting the museum. Free today
Cathedral of St Mary and All Saints. A lovely Roman Catholic cathedral of tan stone with two bell towers, 9 pointed arches on each side of the main nave, nice green/white/red geometric stained glass, and old oil paintings in large frames for the Ways of the Cross.
I ended up walking about 15 km in my walkabout. 
Mbare Market. 3.5 km west of downtown.
National Heroes’ Acre. 8.1 km west of downtown. 
Lion and Cheetah Park & Snake World. 26 km west of Harare. 
Balancing Rocks, Epworth. In the NM Bizzarium series, it is 18 km SE of Harare.
The Dutch woman made an excellent dinner of beef stew, flavoured rise and squash puree. ON It’s a Small World Backpackers.

Day 7 Fri May 19
I went to the Mozambique Embassy to obtain a visa. I was told that since May 2023, the only visa necessary was a VOA at the border for 28 countries including Canada. I then went to the Roadport bus terminal to see about a bus to Malawi on Sunday. Refer to the following bit on buses to Malawi.
ON It’s a Small World Backpackers

Day 8 Sat May 20
I washed clothes, got my WU money from Carol Beck, read and relaxed.
ON It’s a Small World Backpackers

Day 9 Sun May 21
The cheapest flight from Harare to Lilongwe, Malawi was $280 and most of the others were over $500 with several transfers and layovers. So I decided to get a bus to Blantyre (597 km, 8.5 hours) which must traverse Mozambique.
I was up at 4 and got a taxi ($7) to Roadport domestic bus station in Harare. I was unable to get an international bus to Blantyre, Malawi as the visa is VOA and they refused to wait for me. Bolt Cutter left at 06:30 with the driver idling and revving the engine for over an hour. 
The plan was to arrive at the Nyamapanda border of Mozambque, get the VOA, hopefully continue to Tete on this bus or wait for Trip Trans as they come through.
Buses to Malawi. Two companies have trips to Blantyre Malawi.
Three Stars. Trips to Lilongwe Mon, Thru and Sat @ 7am. $50
Trip Trans. Daily buses except Saturdays @ 7am. $40. But they require the passengers to have a Mozambique visa as the VOA at the border is a 3-4 hour wait, so refused to sell me a ticket. They advised that the only solution is to take a domestic bus (in the lot next to the international terminal. Several lines (inlcuding Timboon Coaches) leave daily from the west side of the domestic lot (6, 8, 11, 1pm) for Nyamopanda, the Mozambique border town. $10.

Zimbabwe / Mozambique border at Nyampanda/Cochemane, Mozambique.
Zimbabwe immigration: After 3 hours, at 10 am, the bus stopped at Nyampanda and I walked 800 m to Zimbabwe immigration which was relatively painless. They wanted to see my Covid vaccination before they gave me a stamp out.

Money change.
Mozambique (official rate 1US$ = 67 MM): One tout would only give 60. Another finally gave 65 and I changed a 100$ bill for 6,500 MM.
Malawi: (official rate 1US$ = 1.036 MK). The same tout gave me 1,400 saying that in Malawi, I would get 1,300. I changed another US$100 bill for 140,000 MK.

Mozambique immigration VOA
I tried to apply for an e-visa to Mozambique but was blocked on two issues – I didn’t know the bus registration number and it would not accept my postal code. It was not possible to get a Mozambique visa at their embassy in Harare as they insisted that a VOA was the only possibility.  At Mozambique immigration, I filled out an entrance form. Immigration took photos of my Covid vaccinations, passport, Malawi visa and then wanted my accommodation in Malawi. I said that I wasn’t sure if I would make it to Malawi today and had not made a reservation. I showed her the name and address of a place I had written down to stay in Blantyre in my notebook. She took a photo of the address. I filled out the entrance form again. Then she wanted my application for my Malawi visa. She discarded files on my phone looking for it. She tried to connect me to wifi and then Bluetooth for me to send the letter. Nothing worked. I kept asking why these mattered when I had an approved Malawi visa. I filled out a different entrance form that required accommodations, repeating that it was a transit.
Finally, she gave my passport to her boss, I waited 10 minutes, then had a photo and fingerprints. After another 10 minutes my visa was approved, and I paid US$50 for a dual entry visa with a $100 bill. My passport was given to the office who affixed the full-page visa in my passport and she gave me change. This all took 2 hours.
I walked about 400 m down the road looking for a bus to Tete, 140 km away, hoping to be able to continue to Blantyre.
These minivans drive very slowly especially on hills as they are so overloaded. Buses passed us. We waited behind trucks to pass. The road was full of potholes.
After two hours and 51 km, we reached the town of Changara at a crossroads. Several got off.  The main driver got out to rest and a kid drove around town for 45 minutes driving up and down the highway looking for more passengers. The engine was never shut off and it idled a lot. We arrived at the bus terminal (Rodoviario) in Tete at 5 pm for a 12-hour day to go 300 km and 5 hours to go only 140 km from the border to Tete. 230 MM but he had no change so I paid 250.
I swear that I will never travel in a minivan taxi again.

Mozambique / Malawi border: Zoube, Mozambique / Mwanza, Malawi
Money exchange. At the border, a money changer offered for 1US$, first 1500 MK then 1600 MK then 1700 – he was so keen to make a deal, I decided to wait, guessing that the rate was better in Malawi, a black-market money country. These guys can never be trusted and seem to always lie.
At the border, Mozambiquians were offering 1600, then 1800 and then 2000, which I should have taken. In Malawi, the rate at the Standard Bank on the border was 1400 and one money changer would not go above 1500, which surprised me.
Mozambique immigration: Very fast, just a stamp.
It is about 8 km from Zoube to Malawi immigration. There were many bodas competing for business, in two different currencies, but there was no rush as I made them compete with each other. Eventually I got 150 MM, but he thought that was just 500 m to a group of taxis (almost all taxis in Mwanza just shuttle around the border). He took me to the Malawi immigration for the same price.
We were stopped by the army. “Country?” “Where did you come from?” Where are you going?”, “What are you doing in Malawi?” All very pleasant and he welcomed me to Malawi.

Malawi immigration: I had to show my covid vaccinations and e-visa paper copy. He asked several questions. Three stamps taking up almost a full page. Male immigration offices almost always understand and stamp where requested, but the women are always difficult.

I didn’t see
Mana Pools National Park, Sapi and Chewore Safari Areas. WHS 
On the banks of the Zambezi, great cliffs overhang the river and the floodplains. The area is home to a remarkable concentration of wild animals, including elephants, buffalo, leopards, cheetahs and Nile crocodiles
Physically protected by the Zambezi River to the north and the steep escarpment (which rises to over 1,000 m from the valley floor) to the south, this 676,600 ha provides shelter for immense congregations of Africa’s large mammal populations which concentrate in its flood plains. The Mana Pools are former channels of the Zambezi River, an example of erosion and deposition by a large seasonal river.
While black rhino has disappeared since the property’s inscription, huge herds of elephant and buffalo, followed by zebra, waterbuck and many other antelope species and their associated predators including lion and hyena migrate to the area each year during the dry winter months. The river is also famous for its sizeable numbers of hippopotamus and Nile crocodile. Resident and migratory birdlife, with over 450 species recorded, is also abundant. Threatened species include elephant and hippopotamus, lion, cheetah and wild dog. Leopard and brown hyena, classified as near threatened, and a large population of Nile crocodile, are also protected.
The Eastern Highlands are a series of mountainous areas near the border with Mozambique. The highest peak in Zimbabwe, Mount Nyangani at 2,593 m (8,507 ft) is located here as well as the Bvumba Mountains and the Nyanga National Park. World’s View is in these mountains and it is from here that places as far away as 60–70 km (37–43 mi) are visible and, on clear days, the town of Rusape can be seen.
CHINHOYI
MARONDERA
World of Nature
Charara Safari Area
Mana Pools NP
Matusadona NP
Mzarabani Wilderness Area
Sapi and Chewore Safari Areas
Umfurudzi Safari Area
Caves and Sinkholes
Chinhoyi Caves
Domboshawa Caves
Lakes: Lake Chivero
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GENERAL
Zimbabwe is a country in Southern Africa. It is landlocked and is surrounded by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the Southwest, Zambia to the Northwest, and Mozambique to the east and north.
The Zambezi river forms the natural boundary with Zambia and when in full flood (February-April) the massive Victoria Falls on the river forms the world’s largest curtain of falling water. The Victoria Falls are a major tourist attraction.
Once known as the Breadbasket of Africa, since 2000, Zimbabwe has undergone an economic collapse and the rule of law has gradually but largely broken down, although there have been a few signs of improvement since the theoretical formation of a unity Government in 2009 and the Zimbabwean economy has been on the rebound. GDP grew by more than 5% in the year 2010 and 2011, from a very low base. Growth is forecast to increase, buoyed by high mineral prices and the improving agriculture sector.
UNDERSTAND
Mass unemployment is rife. The Victoria Falls are Zimbabwe’s most popular tourist destination and one of the greatest natural wonders of the world.
Zimbabwe is a fantastic place for tourism. Only 20 years ago, it was the richest country in Africa. Currently, with the economy struggling, it is a good place to visit as resorts and hotels are much cheaper than normal and it is very beautiful.
The Victoria Falls’ mile-wide (2 km) curtain of water plunges deep into the Zambezi Gorge creating a cloud of mist that can be seen up to 20 miles (32 km) away. They can be seen on a short trip from Botswana or South Africa but in doing so travellers will be missing some fascinating areas.
Highlights are the ruins of Great Zimbabwe, the beautiful Lake Kariba and also the two biggest cities of Zimbabwe are worth a visit: Harare and Bulawayo. Last but not least, to the east are the so-called Eastern Highlands, fine walking and fishing country, so cool that at certain times of the year, the grass in the morning can be trimmed with frost. In the west is the other-worldly jumble of granite rocks that make up the Matopos National Park.
Zimbabwe’s largest wildlife sanctuary is Hwange National Park, situated on the western border with Botswana. Hwange is home to one of Africa’s largest elephant populations and myriad other species. Other excellent game viewing areas are Matusadona, Mana Pools and Zambezi National Parks.

HISTORY
Stone cities were built in many locations in present-day Zimbabwe. The most impressive structure and best known of these, Great Zimbabwe, was built in the 15th century, but people had been settled there from about 400 AD.
The population was overwhelmingly made up of Shona speakers until the 19th century when the Nguni tribe of the Ndebele settled in what is now Matabeleland (in 1839-40), and then in 1890, the territory came under the control of the British South Africa Company under charter from the British Government.
The United Kingdom annexed Southern Rhodesia from the British South Africa Company in 1923, when the country got its own government and Prime Minister. A 1961 constitution was formulated that favoured whites in power. In 1965, the government unilaterally declared independence, but the UK did not recognize it and demanded more complete voting rights for the black African majority. UN sanctions and a guerilla struggle finally led to both free elections and independence (as Zimbabwe) in 1980.
Robert Mugabe was the first leader of Zimbabwe and was in power from independence in 1980 until he was overthrown in 2017. He initially pursued a policy of reconciliation towards the white population but severity towards regions which had supported a competing guerilla group aided by North Korean military advisors. From 2000 onwards, Mugabe instituted a policy of extensive land redistribution on party political lines favouring his cronies and of “national service” camps. Following Mugabe’s removal from power, the President is Emmerson Mnangagwa, a former Vice-President under Mugabe.

Terrain. Mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld); mountains in east. Low veld in the south eastern corner. Elevation extremes: lowest point: junction of the Runde and Save rivers 162 m highest point: Inyangani 2,592 m

GET IN
By plane. Harare International Airport has a number of international flights, mainly to other African countries. Air Zimbabwe has started operating the Harare – Johannesburg, Harare-Bulawayo, Harare-Victoria Falls, Bulawayo-Victoria Falls, Bulawayo-Johannesburg, Victoria Falls-Johannesburg routes and is currently the cheapest operator on those routes. However, a good option is to fly with South African Airways or Airlink via Johannesburg.
SAA operates to quite a few European airports and has many flights to South Africa and other African destinations. When coming from South Africa you can also use the no-frills airline Kulula.com. KLM offers direct flights from Amsterdam to Harare or with a stopover in Lusaka/Nairobi.
Emirates also operates the Harare-Lusaka and Harare-Dubai routes
British Airways has stopped nonstop flights between Harare and Heathrow.
Victoria Falls airport has daily services by South African Airways, South African Airlink http://www.saairlink.co.za and British Airways from and to Johannesburg. Air Namibia has flight to Victoria Falls from Windhoek/Nambia.
Bulawayo also has an international airport, with flights from Johannesburg operated by SAA and Air Zimbabwe.
For domestic flights inside Zimbabwe, linking international flights to domestic tourism and business destinations, Solenta Aviation has introduced domestic flights in Zimbabwe catering for the Charter and Scheduled market, linking all major tourist hubs and safari lodges along the Zambezi River, Lake Kariba, Victoria Falls and Hwange.
By car. Zimbabwe is accessible by road from the countries that surround it. Contrary to past scenarios, fuel is readily available at all fuel stations prices now being quoted in US dollars. As fuel has to be imported from either Mozambique or South Africa, you can expect to pay more per litre than you would in most other Southern African countries.
It should also be noted that roads in Zimbabwe are now in a very dilapidated state, although a lot of road construction is currently taking place to improve the countries main highways and due caution should be taken when driving, especially at night, and in particular, during the November to March rainy season. Potholes are a very common occurrence, and are a serious threat to any vehicle that hits one. In addition, cattle and donkeys are a danger, as is ongoing road construction.
By bus. Regular deluxe bus services operate from Johannesburg to Harare. A number of buses also travel from Johannesburg to Bulawayo. Greyhound drives to both destinations. Tickets can be obtained directly from Greyhound or through the Computicket website.
Several bus companies also operate direct buses from Harare to Blantyre, Malawi.
No public transport exists from Victoria Falls directly to Botswana – a taxi to the border will cost around 40$, or some hotels in Vic Falls can arrange transfers.
From Johannesburg. Intercape operates a line direct from Johannesburg (Park Station) to Harare that stops in Masvingo (also stops in Pretoria on the way and can be caught there as well). Bus tickets can be purchased online or at the respective station. Entering from SA you will pass through the Beitbridge border crossing, which is reputed to be the busiest and most congested border crossing in all of Southern Africa. Buy all food and drink needed at the last rest stop the bus makes before the border and try to use the bathroom on the bus before exiting the bus at the border. Upon arrival on the SA side everyone will be asked to get off, you may or may not need to also bring all of your bags. Check and remember your bus number. Try to stay with the bus group through the process to not get lost; the bus may leave without you. You will wait in line standing either outside or inside or both for anywhere from 1 to 4+ hours depending on any number of factors, or no factors at all. It may be very cold outside. Once through processing on the SA side you will reboard the bus (showing an immigration official at the bus door your stamped passport) and drive over the Limpopo River to the Zimbabwe side. Everyone will get off the bus again, wait in line, get processed, and reboard the bus afterwards. This part may also take hours, but generally will be shorter and easier than on the SA side. From there you are in Zimbabwe. (— VISAS/PASSPORT PAGES —) For U.S. Citizens: as of passing through the Beitbridge border from SA to Zimbabwe in August 2019, SA left one circular exit stamp placed on a page that already had other stamps. The single entry Visa for Zimbabwe was $30USD to be paid in cash ONLY; exact change required. Be advised that you should pay with a 20 and 10 dollar bill as 5 dollar bills may not be accepted, reason unknown. Also be advised that the 20 and 10 dollar bills should be the new most recent issue bills, as the older issue may or may not be accepted, depending on the passport official you get and any number of unknown factors. If you do not have this $30 USD you will be refused entry, will be unable to reboard the bus and will be stuck. There may be money changers with USD, but extremely unlikely. The Visa is completed manually at the passport window by the official and stuck to your passport as a sticker. It will take one full page.
Buses to Malawi. Two companies have trips from Harare to Blantyre Malawi, traversing Mozambique. 597 km 8.5 hours.
Three Stars. Trips to Lilongwe Mon, Thru and Sat @ 7am. $50
Trip Trans. Daily buses except Saturdays @ 7am. $40. But they require the passengers to have a Mozambique visa as the VOA at the border is a 3-4 hour wait, so refused to sell me a ticket. They advised that the only solution is to take a domestic bus (in the lot next to the international terminal. Several lines (inlcuding Timboon Coaches) leave daily from the west side of the domestic lot (6, 8, 11, 1pm) for Nyamopanda, the Mozambique border town. $10.
By train. The more adventurous tourists could travel by train from Bulawayo to the Victoria Falls. The train also passes through Hwange National Park, one of the biggest national parks in Africa.

GET AROUND
Rent a car. The condition of the roads in Zimbabwe has improved considerably since the economic collapse of 2008. Roads between Victoria Falls and Bulawayo, Bulawayo and Masvingo (Great Zimbabwe) and Masvingo and Mutare are all in excellent condition. Note that almost no gas stations in Zimbabwe currently take credit cards. Road blocks are not common and you are usually waved through. The police may want to just see your drivers licence and your Temporary Import Permit (TIP). Police can fine you if you do not have adhesive reflectors on your car, red hazard triangles in your boot, a spare tyre, and a fire extinguisher (a good idea in such hot countries anyways!), so be sure to carry those items if you want to avoid a fine.
Buses. Public buses are common but many people hitchhike. In Bulawayo, the best buses are City and Bravo Tours that have offices opposite the Rainbow Hotel near 10th and Robert Mugabe Ave – must be booked in advance online, only go in the morning. Inter Africa is the most commonly used, $13 Bulawayo to Harare, leave in the morning and at night from Chicken Inn near  6th Ave and Fort Street.
Buses from the RoadPort in Harare run to Johannesburg, Lusaka, Lilongwe, Blantyre) amongst other destinations.
Minibus taxis are available for intra-city transport, and are relatively inexpensive by European standards. They provide a cheap, though a not necessarily safe way of seeing the true Zimbabwe.
Hitchhiking is also a viable option, but tourists need to take care with whom they accept lifts from; hijackings and robberies of hitchhikers, especially within Harare, have been on the increase in the last few years. Be sure to bring some money along, as drivers very often expect some sort of fee to be paid up front.

EAT
For a sample of what Zimbabweans eat (in some form, nearly every day), ask for sadza and tsunga (stew). The stew part will be familiar, served over a large portion of sadza, a thick ground corn paste (vaguely like polenta and the consistency of thick mashed potatoes) that locals eat at virtually every meal. It is inexpensive, quite tasty and very filling.
If you want to really impress your African hosts, eat it how they do: take a golfball-sized portion of the sadza in one hand and knead it into a ball, then use your thumb to push a small indentation into it and use that to scoop up a bit of stew before popping it into your mouth. Don’t ‘double dunk’.
For extra credit, clap your hands together twice gently when it (or anything else for that matter) is served to say, “Thank you.” Believe it or not, they’ll be very impressed.
Drink. Imported drinks and locally made franchises are available as well as local soft drinks. Mazoe, the local orange squash (or other fruit flavour), is generally available in most eateries. Bottled water is also available. Tap water, as a source of potable water, in general, should be avoided. If no other source of water is available for drinking, then it is best boiled prior to consumption.

SLEEP 
Zimbabwe has a great number of tourist facilities, and offers a variety of accommodation options, from international hotels to guest houses, lodges, and safari camps for all budgets.
There are various hotels and motels in Harare. Several hotels have international partnerships, such a Meikles Hotel, Crown Monomotapa Hotel, Holiday Inn in Harare and Bulawayo.
In Bulawayo’S inner city, you may stay at the Bulawayo Club, a charming old building you may also visit for lunch or dinner, Bulawayo Rainbow Hotel, Holiday Inn, or one of numerous lodges and backpacker’s places.
The Eastern Highlands has much to offer. The Leopard Rock Hotel in the Bvumba is said to be beautiful, having been described so by HM Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, who said, “Where is there a more beautiful place in Africa? It is surely one of the most special places in the world.” Another pleasant resort in the area is Troutbeck Resort
If you are on a safari tour there are tented camps, chalets and camping sites in most of the safaris areas.

STAY SAFE
The US, Japan and Germany lifted their travel warnings to Zimbabwe in April 2009; an indication that the security risk for visitors is low.
Zimbabwe is generally a very safe country however occasional robberies do occur like in any other nation. Crime in Zimbabwe is probably some of the lowest on the African continent.

STAY HEALTHY 
In the current economic situation many medicines are in short supply or cannot be sourced, so you are strongly advised to take all medications with you. Medical attention will be very hard to get: many hospitals even in cities are completely closed or unable to offer substantial care. Some medical personnel may perform procedures for payment, in somewhat dangerous and under equipped surrounds. Medical supplies are severely restricted. Your travel insurance is very likely to be invalid if you travel to Zimbabwe and medical evacuations impossible to arrange.
HIV/AIDS infection rate in Zimbabwe is the 6th highest in the world at around 15% or 1 in 7 infected.
Malaria is prevalent, so unless you are going to stay entirely within Harare or Bulawayo, anti-malarials are advised. Drugs reduce the severity of the disease but do not prevent infection, so also consider precautions such as the following:
Bilharzia is present in some lakes. Ask locally before swimming.
Snakes are common in the bush, and most bites are on the foot or lower leg. If walking, particularly in long grass, wear proper boots and either long, loose trousers or thick, concertinaed hiking socks. Shake out boots and shoes in the morning, in case you have a guest. These precautions also reduce the chance of scorpion sting. If you do get bitten or stung, stay calm. Try to identify the exact culprit, but get to medical assistance as rapidly as you can without undue exertion. Many bites and stings are non-fatal even if not treated, but it is safer to seek treatment, which is very effective these days.

RESPECT
Clapping twice is an accepted “thank you”, especially when someone is handing you something (food, a purchase). If one hand is full you can clap the free hand on your chest. Unlike in Asia, taking items passed to you with both hands is considered impolite, as it is seen as being greedy. Men should clap so that fingertips and wrists meet, but women should ‘golf clap’ with hands crossing.
When shaking hands or handing anything valuable to someone, it is polite to support the right forearm with the left hand (or vice versa), to signify the “weight” of the gift or honour. In practice this often means just touching the forearm, or even gesturing towards it.
When taking something from a local, it is strictly done with the right hand as it is seen as an insult if the left hand is used regardless of dextrousness. The same rule applies when passing something.
Be careful with your opinion, as speaking against the government is a crime. Undercover police may try and trick tourists into conversations about the government (usually introducing a conversation by saying negative things about the government in hopes you’ll agree) so do not be drawn into a political conversation with anyone you are not familiar with.
It is noteworthy that Zimbabweans are generally very very friendly and relaxed people. They will meet foreigners (i.e. Westerners/white travelers) on almost all occasions with a smile, some curiosity and friendliness – or just indifference at worst. This holds true even in larger cities like Bulawayo for instance. Some rural areas – especially ZANU-PF strongholds – may be more confrontational with white tourists but exercising usual caution would be fine.