Harare is the capital of Zimbabwe. Its name is a derivative of a Shona tale. A King
was seriously ill and his subjects thought that he was not going to 'sleep' and live
another day. In Shona 'Ha a rare' literally means He will not sleep. And the place
where the sick king lived became to be known as 'Chikomo che HA A RARE'
meaning the mountain where he won't sleep.
Harare is home to some two million people, with most in central Harare but some
500,000 in the surrounding districts of Rural Harare, Chintungwiza and Epworth.
Once a city of modern buildings, wide thoroughfares, numerous parks and gardens,
it is now in increasing disrepair thanks to Zimbabwe's economic downward spiral.
The city is a trade centre for tobacco, maize, cotton, and citrus fruits. Manufactures
include textiles, steel, and chemicals, and gold is mined in the area. Harare is
situated at an elevation of 1483 metres (4865 feet) and its climate falls into the warm
temperate category.
Harare is the site of the University of Zimbabwe, the largest and most complete
institution of higher learning in Zimbabwe, which is situated about 5km north of the
city. Numerous suburbs surround the city, retaining the names colonial
administrators gave them during the 19th century, such as Warren Park 'D',
Borrowdale, Mount Pleasant, Marlborough, Tynwald and Avondale.
Pioneer Column, a military volunteer force of settlers organised by Cecil Rhodes,
founded the city in 1890 as a fort. They originally named the city Fort Salisbury after
the 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, then British prime minister, and it subsequently
became known simply as Salisbury. It was declared to be a municipality in 1897 and
it became a city in 1935. Salisbury was the capital of the Federation of Rhodesia and
Nyasaland from 1953 to 1963. After that point, it was the capital of Southern
Rhodesia, which was unilaterally declared independent on November 11, 1965 as
the Republic of Rhodesia and the subsequent short-lived state of Zimbabwe
Rhodesia, until Britain recognized its independence under majority rule on April 18,
1980, whereupon the country was named the Republic of Zimbabwe. The capital city
retained the name Salisbury until 1982.
The name of the city was changed to Harare on April 18, 1982, the second
anniversary of Zimbabwean independence, taking its name from the Shona chieftain
Neharawa. It is also said the name derived from the European corruption of
"Haarari" ("He does not sleep"), the epithet of the chief whose citadel was located in
the area known today as the Kopje (pronounced "Koppie"). It was said that no enemy
could ever launch a sneak attack on him. Prior to independence, "Harare" was the
name of the Black residential area now known as Mbare.
The area at the time of founding of the city was poorly drained and earliest
development was on sloping ground along the left bank of a stream that is now the
course of a trunk road (Julius Nyerere Way). The first area to be fully drained was
near the head of the stream and was named Causeway as a result. This area is
now the site of many of the most important Government buildings, including the
Senate House and the Office of the Prime Minister
PLACE TO VISIT
There is a strong appreciation for the city's cultural and historical heritage and a
number of the older buildings have been preserved. The Mining Pension Fund
Building at Central Avenue and Second Street is one example and many more are to
be found along Robert Mugabe Road between Second Street and Julius Nyerere
Way.
The National Gallery houses not only a valuable and interesting national collection
but also hosts travelling international exhibitions and has a permanent display of
some outstanding Shona soft-stone carvings.
The priceless collection of Rhodesiana and Africana in the form of diaries,
notebooks and reports of various origins, are housed in the National Archives. Some
of the original works of some of the greatest names in African exploration and
missionary can be viewed.
Other institutions which are well worth visiting include the Queen Victoria Museum
and the Queen Victoria National Library, both at the Civic Centre; in Rotten Row.
The city was laid out with large open spaces like the 68ha National Botanic Garden
with more than 900 species of wild trees and shrubs from all over the country. The
Mukuvisi Woodlands is 277 hectares of remarkably preserved natural woodland that
stances astride the banks of the small Mukuvisi stream. A variety of bird and of wild
animal species such as giraffe, zebra, impala, tsessche, wildebeest, bushbuck,
steenbuck, reed buck and eland can be viewed.
The Kopje, a granite hill rising above the south-west corner of central Harare, is a
great place to go for views of the city.
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Harare's airport is the major gateway for flights into the country. Air
Zimbabwe also operates a small network of domestic flights. International flights are
easily available, with Air Zimbabwe with flights direct to London and Johannesburg.
In recent times Air Zimbabwe flights often had to be cancelled due to a lack of spare
parts and fuel. Flights are however more frequent now foreign airliners include South
African Airways and low-fare Kulula.com , both flying from South Africa's
Johannesburg International Airport.
By car - A National Road from Johannesburg allows easy access. Buses are
easily available ranging from greyhound to the local ones for those saving
