Chegutu District Hartley District | |
|---|---|
 Chegutu District (light pink) in Mashonaland West Province | |
| Coordinates:18°00′S30°00′E / 18.000°S 30.000°E /-18.000; 30.000 | |
| Country | Zimbabwe |
| Province | Mashonaland West |
Chegutu, originally known asHartley, is a district ofMashonaland West Province,Zimbabwe. The district headquarters is located in Chegutu, a city which lies of theHarare-Bulawayo Road, (Highway A-5).
The district is located inMashonaland West Province, in central northern Zimbabwe. Chegutu District is bordered byKadoma District to the south and west,Zvimba District to the north and to the east, liesMazoe District inMashonaland Central Province. Its main town,Chegutu, is located about 120 kilometres (75 mi), by road, southwest ofHarare, thecapital of Zimbabwe and the largest city in that country.[1]
Chegutu District is primarily a mining district. Largegold deposits are found in the district and the two largest gold mines there are theButterfly Mine (originally a pre-colonial mining site) and theGiant Mine, both owned by owned by Africa Consolidated Resources (ACR).[2] Other mines includeplatinum mines such as theHartley Mine opened in 1987.[3][4]Artisanal gold mining is also prevalent,[5] often using unsafe methods, such as mercury separation.[6]
The current population of Chegutu District is not publicly known. In 1992, the national census put the district population at 191,909 people. By 2002's national census, that population count had increased to 224,589.[7] The next national population census inZimbabwe is scheduled from 18 August 2012 through 28 August 2012.[8]