Plumtree, Zimbabwe

For other places with the same name, see Plumtree (disambiguation).
Plumtree
Plumtree

Location in Zimbabwe

Coordinates: 20°30′00″S 27°48′00″E / 20.50000°S 27.80000°E / -20.50000; 27.80000
Country Zimbabwe
Province Matabeleland South
Districts of Zimbabwe Bulilimamangwe District
Municipality Plumtree Town Council
Government
  Mayor Eroc Garcia
Elevation 1,387 m (4,551 ft)
Population (2012 Census)
  Total 11,626
Climate Cwa

Plumtree is a small town in Zimbabwe. Alongside marula trees, wild plum trees ('umqokolo' in Botoko language) grew abundantly in the area, hence the name Plumtree.

Location

The town is located in Bulilimamangwe District, Matabeleland South Province, in southwestern Zimbabwe, at the international border with Botswana. It is located about 100 kilometres (62 mi), by road, southwest of Bulawayo, the nearest large city.[1] The town sits on the main road between Bulawayo in Zimbabwe and Francistown in Botswana, about 85 kilometres (53 mi), further southwest from Plumtree. The border is defined by the Ramokgwebana River. The village of Ramokgwebana is opposite Plumtree on the Botswana side.

Overview

It is the local administrative centre for Bulilimamangwe District, which is made up of three sub-districts; namely (a) Bulilima West (b) Bulilima East and (c) Mangwe. Plumtree is located in Bulilima East. Other neighbourhoods near Plumtree include: Bezu, Sikhathini, Mlomwe, Ntunungwe, Pumuza, Nyabane, Gambo, Tokwana, Matjinge, Ndolwane, Diba, and Gwambe. Ngwana,, kalemu village,

At an altitude of 1,387 metres (4,551 ft), above sea level,[2] the town sits on the watershed between the Limpopo River basin to the south and the Zambezi basin to the north. The Tati River rises near Plumtree, running west and then south into the Shashe River, a tributary of the Zambezi. The annual rainfall is about 500 millimetres (20 in), with a long dry season from April to October.[3] The railway from Bulawayo to Francistown crosses the border near Plumtree. There is a functioning casino in Plumtree. There are several elementary and secondary schools in the town. ZB Bank Limited, a commercial bank, maintains a branch in town.[4]

Population

The current population of Plumtree is not publicly known. In 2004, the population of the town was estimated at 50,000.[5] The next national population census in Zimbabwe is scheduled from 18 August 2012 through 28 August 2012.[6] There are two main languages spoken in Bulilimange; (a) Ndebele and (b) Kalanga. Other languages spoken to a lesser extent include Tswana, used near the Botswana border and Shona, which is spoken by the Shona people who migrated from Mashonaland.

Climate

Climate data for Plumtree, Zimbabwe (1961–1990)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 28.1
(82.6)
27.5
(81.5)
27.4
(81.3)
26.2
(79.2)
24.1
(75.4)
21.7
(71.1)
21.6
(70.9)
24.5
(76.1)
28.2
(82.8)
29.7
(85.5)
29.0
(84.2)
28.0
(82.4)
26.3
(79.3)
Average low °C (°F) 16.9
(62.4)
16.5
(61.7)
15.7
(60.3)
13.6
(56.5)
10.8
(51.4)
8.4
(47.1)
8.3
(46.9)
10.5
(50.9)
13.8
(56.8)
15.9
(60.6)
16.7
(62.1)
16.6
(61.9)
13.6
(56.5)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 120.2
(4.732)
114.0
(4.488)
70.0
(2.756)
35.9
(1.413)
6.8
(0.268)
2.7
(0.106)
1.3
(0.051)
0.7
(0.028)
8.8
(0.346)
32.5
(1.28)
90.7
(3.571)
118.8
(4.677)
602.4
(23.717)
Average rainy days 10 9 5 3 1 0 0 0 1 4 8 10 51
Source: World Meteorological Organization[7]

Notable people linked to Plumtree

°Dr Tawana Khupe °Dr Maphisa °Simisani Makeba

See also

References

Coordinates: 20°30′00″S 27°48′00″E / 20.50000°S 27.80000°E / -20.50000; 27.80000

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