Munzwa
Munzwa | |
|---|---|
City | |
 | |
| Motto(s): Guta reMadzimambo (weRwizi) City of Kings | |
| Country | File:RwizikuruFlag.PNG Rwizikuru |
| District | Dzakakwirira |
| Founded | c. 850 CE |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Mufaro Chimutengwende |
| Population (2011) | |
| • City | 296,341 |
| • Rank | 7th in Rwizikuru |
| • Urban | 296,341 |
| Time zone | UTC+3:45 (Rwizikuran Standard Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3:45 (not observed) |
Munzwa is the seventh-largest city of Rwizikuru and the capital of the district of Dzakakwirira, situated on the Rwizikuru River. Established around 850, it was originally a minor village along the Rwizikuru River, but with the rise of the veRwizi Empire, it became the main seat of power, which at its peak in the fifteenth century saw its influence stretch from Inkiko (in present-day Mabifia) in the west, to TBD (in present-day Tabora) in the east.
After its conquest by the Kambou Empire, Munzwa was under brief control of the Kambou Empire before its sphere of influence waned, Munzwa became ruled by a local chiefdom, which remained in existence until its conquest by Estmerish troops in 1884 with the end of the Sougoulie. Following its conquest, Munzwa lost much of its importance, as the colonial district seat was moved to Crogan.
Etymology
The name Munzwa derives from the weRwizi word meaning "the thorn," which is believed to refer to a single specimen of the splendid thorn which was seen as a sign by chief Tamuka to establish a new geopolitical order to combat the spread of Irfan which was overwhelming the villages and threatening to destroy the village system.
History
Early history
While Munzwa was believed to have been first settled by humans around 600 BCE, it was abandoned around 200 BCE, resettled in 50 CE, before being abandoned again around 450 CE. Munzwa was only properly established around 850 CE, with legend saying that Tamuka saw a specimen of splendid thorn along the banks of the Rwizikuru River, and saw fit to establish a new settlement with which he would hope to combat the spread of Irfan and preserve Fetishism. Archaeologists also place the habitation of Munzwa as occurring around that time.
Over the next few centuries, as the Bahian Consolidation took place, Munzwa became one of the most important houregeries, as it was able to exert control over surrounding villages, who in turn exerted control over their surrounding villages, helping establish a system that would govern relations between the various axial houregeries to supplant the old system.
By 1160, the veRwizi Empire was established under chief Sikarudzi, who declared himself Mambo, or Karame. Over the centuries, as the veRwizi Empire grew, Munzwa remained the capital, and the main seat of power within the empire, due to its geographic position along the Rwizikuru River, which provided it with easy access to riverine trade, while its inland location protected it from attacks by sea, meaning it was only vulnerable to attacks by other houregeries, most notably the Kambou Empire.
Golden age
By the fifteenth century, Munzwa had become one of the most influential cities in Bahia, along the likes of Mina, Maware, Galassa, and Kambou, while it also became an intellectual centre in the Kupokana Kwevakachenjera. As the seat of one of the most powerful axial houregeries in the subcontinent, Munzwa would play a major role in not just the Kupokana Kwevakachenjera, but also in the geopolitical system that existed during this period known as the Bahian Golden Age.
During this period, Munzwa was a large city, with estimates of its population ranging from 100,000 people to 300,000 people, making it one of the largest cities in the Bahian subcontinent. According to travelers, the central citadel was opulent, with enough room for around 10,000 people, with temples and palaces being situated here, as well as a "great library", while the stone walls were praised for its sturdy construction. The main east-west and north-south roads outside of the citadel were also opulent, with the central market in particular being noted as selling "wares from every corner of the world."
Archaeology has estimated that at its peak, Munzwa covered an area of around one hundred square kilometres, based on the archaeological records of the site of Old Munzwa. However, most of the area outside of the central citadel were comprised of typical Bahian huts, albeit were more opulent than huts elsewhere in the veRwizi Empire.
Decline
As the veRwizi Empire declined, Munzwa remained a key political and intellectual centre, allowing it to initially remain prosperous. However, as its standing decreased, Munzwa too declined, as more and more vassals were being taken over by other axial houregeries, especially the Kambou Empire. As the veRwizi Empire faced more and more tetere, Munzwa became more and more of a target for the Kambou Empire.
After a bloody siege from 1654 to 1655, Munzwa fell to the Kambou Empire, and the city was looted to such a degree that "by the time the Kambouans have finished their campaign of looting, 'only the walls of the citadel' remained," with almost no property in the city spared. In the aftermath of the war, it was briefly under the rule of Kambou, but as Kambou faced internal problems of their own, they abandoned Munzwa, leaving it to be a minor village in the restored village system.
Munzwa would only become prominent again when in 1882, chief Tamutswa of Munzwa declared the establishment of the Verizi Empire, a restoration of the veRwizi Empire. While it served as the main centre for the Rizilander front of the Bahian Mutiny, by 1884, Munzwa was finally conquered by the Estmerish, and in retaliation for the ransack of Crogan, the entire site was "burned to the ground and salted."
Colonial era
Shortly after Old Munzwa was destroyed in 1884, a new townsite planned by the Estmerish colonial authorities was established on the shores of the Rwizikuru River, with the intention of solidifying colonial rule over the general area. The new townsite was to have five avenues and ten streets, and was designed to provide "civilised housing" (i.e. Euclean-style housing) to both the white immigrants and the native veRwizi population.
By 1886, with the colonial town of Munzwa completed, it was incorporated as a town: the 1891 census reported Munzwa had a population of 1,043 people, of which only 22 were of white origin. During this period, the colonial authorities developed Munzwa into a model colonial town, alongside that of Crogan, which was designated the capital of the Plateau district.
In 1901, the population rose to 14,104 people, allowing it to be granted city status that year. By 1911, its population rose to 31,505 people, making it larger than Crogan. However, with the economic crisis in 1915, Port Graham's population growth slowed, while exports going through Port Graham slowed down, with the lack of demand in Estmere and her colonies, causing Munzwa's population to only rise slightly to 33,697 people in 1921.
During the Great War, Munzwa was a target of bombardment, due to its position on the Rusere-Port Fitzhubert railway, and its location across from Gaullican-occupied territory. In 1931, Munzwa's population fell to 30,650 people.
Following the end of the Great War, Munzwa recovered its stature, and grew as many from rural areas started migrating from the countryside. By 1941, Munzwa's population rose to 51,693 people, with only 310 whites, and 3,130 Mirites residing in the city, with the rest being of "native" origin.
Post-independence era
After Rwizikuru's independence in 1946, Munzwa became the district capital of Dzakakwirira, replacing Crogan, as the newly-independent government felt that Crogan was too closely associated with Estmerish colonial rule for it to remain the district capital, while Munzwa was seen as a more independent city, given how it was the capital of the veRwizi Empire, and the short-lived Verizi Empire that existed during the Bahian Mutiny.
In 1951, Munzwa's population rose to 74,699 people, making it the primary economic centre of central Rwizikuru. During this period, there were discussions about relocating the national capital from Port Fitzhubert to Munzwa, due to Munzwa's central location, its position on the Rusere-Port Fitzhubert railway, its position on the Rwizikuru River, and its historic role as the capital of the veRwizi Empire. As well, it hosted the conference that led to the Munzwa Declaration in 1954 which established the United Bahian Republic.
By 1961, Munzwa's population rose to 127,495 people, with 3,679 Mirites, and only 21 varungu residing there, with the remainder being predominantly veRwizi. During the 1960s, Munzwa continued to be a regional economic centre, although as it was not connected by motorway to Port Fitzhubert, it did not see the same degree of economic growth that other cities, such as Port Fitzhubert, Sainte-Germaine (present-day Mambiza, Garambura), Port Graham, or Port Vaugeois (present-day Port Tsalar, Mabifia) had.
After the expulsion of the Mirites, and the collapse of the Rwizikuran economy, Munzwa's population fell to 108,405 people in 1971. In 1973, Guta raMambo was officially designated the capital of Rwizikuru, thus ending any chance of Munzwa being the national capital of Rwizikuru. As well, the economic policies of the government greatly harmed Munzwa.
Contemporary era
After the accession of Kupakwashe Ngonidzashe in 1979, and his subsequent economic liberalisation, Munzwa started recovering: by 1981, its population rose to 132,777 people. During the 1980s, it became one of the major economic centres in the region, with only Crogan being a serious competitor to that of Munzwa. As well, with the return of the Mirites to Rwizikuru, Munzwa became one of the places where the Mirites re-established themselves.
In 1991, the population of Munzwa rose to 174,698 people, with 1,459 Mirites, and 45 varungu residing in the city, with the remainder being predominantly veRwizi. During the 1990s, Munzwa's infrastructure was extensively developed in order to help cope with the population growth, with new water treatment plants and sewage treatment plants being opened. By the early 2000s, it gained a reputation as being the least corrupt city in the entire country.
In the 2001 census, Munzwa's population rose to 224,495 people, with 3,509 Mirites, and 59 varungu residing in the city. During the 2000s, the economy of Munzwa continued to grow, while Munzwa began to clear shantytowns and replacing them with modern neighbourhoods.
Thus, by 2011, Munzwa reached a population of 296,341 people, making it the seventh largest city in Rwizikuru.
Geography
Munzwa is situated on the western bank of the Rwizikuru River, across the river from the district of South Balisaland. The city is flat, with very little in the way of topographic variation, with its highest point only being 121 metres above sea level.
As it is situated in the plains region, it has an equatorial climate, with average yearly highs of 28.3 degrees Celsius, and average yearly lows of 20.4 degrees Celsius.
Government
Like any city in Rwizikuru, it has an elected Mayor (weRwizi: meya) and an elected city council (kanzuru yeguta).
The city council comprises of nine members, each representing one of the city's eleven wards, and are elected every four years by all inhabitants of Munzwa over the age of 21, as stipulated in the Civic Decree of 1965 issued by Izibongo Ngonidzashe. The mayor is also elected in the same elections that elect the rest of the city council.
The current mayor is Mufaro Chimutengwende, first elected in 2016.
Population
As of the 2011 census, there were 296,341 people residing in Munzwa, making it the seventh largest city in Rwizikuru, between the cities of Rutendo in Zvakawanda, and Crogan in Dzakakwirira.
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Culture
Due to its location along both the Rwizikuru River, and its historic role as being a major political and intellectual centre in Bahia, Munzwa has historically exerted a lot of cultural influence over much of southern Bahia.