The Sunday Mail
Tendai Chara
LIKE the mythical Phoenix, a bird fabled for rising from the ashes, Domboshava — a peri-urban settlement that is located about 27 kilometres north of Harare — is slowly but surely rising.
Only some few years back, the settlement was a sleepy village that was mostly known for market gardening and the spectacular granite geological formations that decorate the sprawling landscape.
Named after a large, brown granite hill that houses a cave with Stone Age rock paintings, the name, according to historical accounts, is derived from “dombo”, meaning rock, and shava, which translates to light brown.
Over the years, the settlement has become one of the country’s fastest developing peri-urban centres.
It now eclipses long-established urban towns such as Norton and Marondera in terms of population and size.
Apart from being a tourist hub, Domboshava has, over the years, attracted both celebrities and ordinary people.
Locals estimate that more than 100 families are settling in this dormitory area every week.
Among the people who now call the former village home are lawyers, businesspeople, artists and sports personalities.
And among Domboshava’s better-known residents are socialite and businessman Genius “Ginimbi” Kadungure, yesteryear urban grooves musician Matthew “Mateo” Kaunda and Diana Makumbe, a former female national boxing bantamweight champion-cum-musician.
Mateo rose to national prominence during the late 1990s with hit songs “Pamuhacha” and “Asambe Africa”.
Population
A recent visit to Domboshava by The Sunday Mail Society revealed that more people, the majority of whom are coming from Harare, are settling in the area.
Although official figures could not be obtained to support the new wave of migration, information supplied by one of the local councillors proves the current trends.
Tapiwa Marima, the Goromonzi District Ward 4 councillor, whose area is the most densely populated in Domboshava, gave some insights into the increasingly evolving trends.
“In 2018, council physically counted the number households in this ward and we came up with 79 000. In March this year, we did a similar exercise and before the exercise came to a halt after the outbreak of the coronavirus, we had counted 92 000 households,” revealed Cllr Marima.
The ward is comprised of 85 “villages”, with one of them, Gukwe, having 6 000 households.
“It has always been my dream to own a house in Harare, where I have stayed since childhood. But it has proved to be a pipe dream over the past 20 or so years. However, things changed two years back when a friend of mine who recently relocated here (Domboshava) advised me to apply for land through council offices. The application was approved. I am almost done constructing my house,” said Mai Panashe, a cross-border trader.
“There is little or no difference between a person who stays in Domboshava and someone, say, in Chitungwiza, Norton or Glen View.”
Unlike in the past, when Domboshava was only synonymous with fresh produce and tourism, with its residents travelling to Harare for business, the settlement has in recent years grown into a seemingly independent and distinct precinct.
The opening of hardware shops, flea market stalls and a vegetable market has cut unnecessary trips to Harare.
In the past, locals often travelled to the capital for building materials and other necessities.
The nerve centre of the settlement is the Showground, a bustling business centre where an estimated 10 000 people converge daily to conduct business.
Domboshava has, to a greater extent, helped in decongesting Harare, which is currently facing acute housing shortages.
Challenges
However, Domboshava, like any other peri-urban settlements, has its fair share of problems.
“We do not have a single public toilet at Showground, our major business centre. The one we have was condemned by environmental health technicians, and those that conduct business here are forced to find alternative ablution facilities in bars and shops,” bemoaned Cllr Marima.
With the rainy reason fast approaching, there are fears of communicable disease outbreaks.
Fainos Maringwa, a resident, exhorted council to regularise mushrooming unplanned settlements.
“We are having people who are building wherever they want. Some have constructed their homes on wetlands, near rivers and even on hillocks. Council is only focusing on the planned settlements at the expense of other areas,” notes Mr Maringwa.
Crime
Local traditional leaders are not happy with rising crime and moral decadence that come with a growing settlement.
Sub-chief Murape (born Gilbert Murape) is agonising over the rot.
“Artisanal miners are closing in on us and the number of people that are settling in this area is alarming. Some of the new settlers are commercial sex workers and hardcore criminals who are on the run. These undesirable elements are causing havoc in this area,” he said.
Artisanal miners have descended on Nyakudya Village, which is less than two kilometres from Showground.
“Criminals and commercial sex workers naturally follow activity. Domboshava is now a busy place that attracts all sort of business, hence we now have some of these challenges. But it is normal! We just hope that responsible authorities will come to our rescue, provide security and preserve the peace and tranquillity of this area,” reasoned Tinashe Mungate.
Regularisation
Goromonzi Rural District Council chief executive officer, Trust Madhovi, said council is working towards regularising the illegal settlements.
“We are constantly engaging the residents and traditional leaders intending to stop the illegal parcelling of State land. Council regularly conducts awareness campaigns through which we are reminding the residents that selling State land is a crime,” Madhovi said.
Council is also reportedly considering constructing new toilets at Showground as a matter of urgency.
“The toilets can be completed any time soon. The most positive thing is that our residents, most of whom are into market gardening, now have a marketplace to sell their produce. The headache of transporting their produce to Mbare is now a thing of the past,” he added.
