About Zimbabwe World Day of Prayer 2020 • Supplemental Material This material was prepared by WDP Zimbabwe for WDP 2020. For further information, contact World Day of Prayer USA • 475 Riverside Drive, 15th Floor • New York, NY 10115 • 212.870.2466 • Orders: 888.937.8720 [email protected] • www.wdp-usa.org • www.wdp-usa/category/blogs • www.facebook.com/worlddayofprayerusa • www.twitter.com/wdpusa 1 About Zimbabwe World Day of Prayer 2020 • Supplemental Material Geography Zimbabwe is located in Southern Africa. Its name means means “House of Stones.” Zimbabwe is a landlocked country of 390,757 square kilometers (150,872 sq. mi.) that lies between two rivers—the Limpopo River along the southern border with South Africa and the mighty Zambezi River along the northern border with Zambia. It also is bordered by Botswana to the west and south - west, Namibia to the northwest, and Mozambique to the east and northeast. Less than 200 meters of the Zambezi River separates Zimbabwe from Namibia. The Zambezi River, the longest river in the country (2,650 km/1,647 mi.), flows along the northern border with Zambia. The Inyanga and Udzi mountains stretch along Zimbabwe’s eastern border with Mozambique. Zimbabwe is in the savanna region of Africa. Its cli - mate is markedly varied by altitude. The year is marked by four distinct seasons: winter, which is a cool to cold k c i d d a C e i l u J © Hippos in the Zambezi River, top; rhino, bottom. season (from mid-May to August), summer or dry sea - e son (from September to mid-November), the rainy sea - e tt i m son (from mid-November to March), and the spring m o C season (April to mid-May). l a n o Major tourist attractions include Victoria Falls, ti a r e t which is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the n I r e World; Hwange National Park, a wildlife conservancy; y a r P f the Great Zimbabwe Monument or ruins from which o y a the country derives its name; the Eastern highlands; D d l r Matopos or Matobo Hills; and Gonarezhou National o W © Park. Zebras on the savanna. This material was prepared by WDP Zimbabwe for WDP 2020. For further information, contact World Day of Prayer USA • 475 Riverside Drive, 15th Floor • New York, NY 10115 • 212.870.2466 • Orders: 888.937.8720 [email protected] • www.wdp-usa.org • www.wdp-usa/category/blogs • www.facebook.com/worlddayofprayerusa • www.twitter.com/wdpusa 2 About Zimbabwe World Day of Prayer 2020 • Supplemental Material Population The country has an estimated population of about 16 million people. According to the latest census report (2012), Zimbabwe’s population stood at 12 million. The same report puts the male population in the coun - try at 6,280,539 while the total female population was 6,780,700. The young population (under 15 years of age) is more than 41 percent among both males and females. Zimbabwe has 16 official languages: English, Shona, Ndebele, Xhosa, Tswana, Chewa, Chibarwe, e Kalanga, Sign Language, Sotho, Tonga, Kaisan, Nam - e tt i bia, Ndau, Shanganiand Venda. English, Shona and m m o C Ndebele are the most widely used. Shona is spoken by l a n 70 percent of the Zimbabwe population, while Ndebele o ti a n is spoken by 20 percent. Both are Bantu languages. r e t n I English is considered the first language by only 2 r e y a percent of the population. r P f o y a D Political History d l r o Pre-Colonial Period W © Zimbabwe has a rich pre-colonial history; apparently, the civilization in the area was a force to be reckoned. Great Zimbabwe Monument Site Its history can be discerned from the remains of human and Limpopo. There was grassland for cattle-grazing, settlement on the plateau between the rivers Zambezi there were elephants, and there was a seam of gold, which formed a basis for trade; there are signs of ivory and gold trading prior to 1000 AD . The stone houses that survived this period are sup - posedly the dwellings of chieftains. From the 100 hilltop ruins, the largest stone structure that survived and can still be visited today is the Great Zimbabwe. Great Zim - babwe was considered the capital of the Zimbabwe Em - pire, which lasted from 1220 to 1450 AD . In the 15th century, the Zimbabwe Empire was v eclipsed by two other kingdoms, one to the south, at e - t g Khami (near the modern Bulawayo), and one to the w © north, near Mount Darwin. The ruler of the northern Rock painting kingdom was Munhumutapa, who met the first Euro - This material was prepared by WDP Zimbabwe for WDP 2020. For further information, contact World Day of Prayer USA • 475 Riverside Drive, 15th Floor • New York, NY 10115 • 212.870.2466 • Orders: 888.937.8720 [email protected] • www.wdp-usa.org • www.wdp-usa/category/blogs • www.facebook.com/worlddayofprayerusa • www.twitter.com/wdpusa 3 About Zimbabwe World Day of Prayer 2020 • Supplemental Material peans to arrive in the region for trade in the early 16th century, the Portuguese. British Colonization The British occupation was led by Cecil John Rhodes with his gold mining companies in the 1890s, and it lasted until independence in 1980. The territory was administered by Rhode’s British South Africa Company with the consent of the British government, until it became a self-governing crown colony in 1923. During colonization, there was a systematic purge of the indigenous population in order to dispossess them of their land and rich natural resources. The British named the country Rhodesia (in honor of Rhodes), although at one point during the Federation of Rhodesia, Zambia and Nyasaland, it was named Southern Rhodesia. First Chimurenga The independence of Zimbabwe came at a huge price, as thousands upon thousands of lives perished when people rose up against the colonizers. Chimurenga , a Shona word for revolutionary struggle, refers to the Ndbele and Shona insurrection against the rule of British South Africa Company over their territory (1896–1897). They lost the battle but not the desire v e - t to overrule the colonizers. g w Nationalism © Resistance to colonial rule continued until mass nation - Countryside alism began to take shape in the 1960s. Between 1960 tional Union Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF). Their respec - and 1979, the most active political movements included tive military wings—Zimbabwe African National Liber - the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) and the ation Army (ZANLA) and Zimbabwe People’s Revolu- Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU). The most tionary Army (ZIPRA)—fought the settler colonial influential nationalists during this period included regime of Ian Smith from neighboring countries— Joshua Nkomo, Herbert Chitepo, Josiah Chinamano, Mozambique and Zambia—to attain majority rule. Ndabaningi Sithole, Robert Mugabe, Josiah Tongogara, Joseph Msika, and J. Z. Moyo, among others. Independence The major political parties were Zimbabwe African A year before Independence in 1979, then Prime Minis - People’s Union (ZAPU) and the Zimbabwe African Na - ter Ian Douglas Smith formed a unity government with This material was prepared by WDP Zimbabwe for WDP 2020. For further information, contact World Day of Prayer USA • 475 Riverside Drive, 15th Floor • New York, NY 10115 • 212.870.2466 • Orders: 888.937.8720 [email protected] • www.wdp-usa.org • www.wdp-usa/category/blogs • www.facebook.com/worlddayofprayerusa • www.twitter.com/wdpusa 4 About Zimbabwe World Day of Prayer 2020 • Supplemental Material Bishop Abel Muzorewa, leader of the United African National Council, and the country was christened Zim - babwe-Rhodesia. Majority rule deliberations at the Lancaster House Conference in London, the British capital, among the warring parties (mainly ZANU, ZAPU, and the Rhode - sian government) led to an agreement that paved the way for cessation of hostilities and gave room to hold the first democratic elections in February 1980. The In - dependence of Zimbabwe was celebrated on April 18, 1980. The Zimbabwe African National Union party emerged victorious and its leader Prime Minister Robert Mugabe became the first democratically elected leader of an independent Zimbabwe. Canaan Banana became the first president. Joshua Nkomo, whose party was the second largest, became the country’s first Minister of Home Affairs. There was euphoria among the society and institu - tions, including churches, over liberation. The new de - velopment policies addressed poverty, demobilization, disarmament, and reintegration. a w Post-Independence Conflict o r a M There were post-independence disturbances in the e l e g Midlands and Matabeleland regions, which were doc - n a h k i S umented by the Catholic Commission for Peace and Justice (Gukurahundi period). The report is available © online. Street demonstration Zimbabwe African People’s Union Patriotic Front tion of the unity accord toward peace and reconcilia - and Zimbabwe African People’s Union signed a unity tion deepened discontentment among the citizens. The accord on December 22, 1987, to end the conflict. The economic structural adjustment program contributed to two major parties united to govern. The post of prime the deterioration of the living standards. minister was abolished, and President Robert Mugabe became the new head of state and government, deputized Land Reform Program by vice presidents Simon Muzenda and Joshua Nkomo. Land access defined by race (White/European and The one-party state solution was followed by oppo - Black/African) has been a key component of political sition, and new parties emerged. The little implementa - and economic tensions in the country. In 2000, Zim - This material was prepared by WDP Zimbabwe for WDP 2020.