| Matobo National Park | |
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 Sunrise in Matobo National Park, 2006 | |
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| Location | Matobo District,Zimbabwe |
| Nearest city | Bulawayo |
| Coordinates | 20°33′00″S28°30′29″E / 20.55°S 28.508°E /-20.55; 28.508 |
| Area | 424 km2 (164 sq mi) |
| Established | 1926[1] |
| Governing body | Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority |
| Official name | Matobo Hills |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | iii, v, vi |
| Designated | 2003(27thsession) |
| Reference no. | 306 |
| Region | Africa |
TheMatobo National Park forms the core of theMatobo orMatopos Hills, an area ofgranitekopjes and wooded valleys commencing some 35 kilometres (22 mi) south ofBulawayo, southernZimbabwe. The hills were formed over 2 billion years ago with granite being forced to the surface; it has eroded to produce smooth "whaleback dwalas" and broken kopjes, strewn with boulders and interspersed with thickets of vegetation. Matopo/Matob was named by the Lozwi. A different tradition states that the first King, Mzilikazi Khumalo when told by the local residents that the great granite domes were called madombo he replied, possible half jest, "We will call them matobo" - an Isindebele play on 'Bald heads'.[2]
The Hills cover an area of about 3,100 km2 (1,200 sq mi), of which 424 km2 (164 sq mi) isNational Park, the remainder being largely communal land and a small proportion of commercial farmland. The park extends along theThuli,Mtshelele,Maleme andMpopoma river valleys. Part of the national park is set aside as a 100 km2 (39 sq mi) game park, which has been stocked with game including the whiterhinoceros. The highest point in the hills is the promontory named Gulati (1,549 m; 5,082 ft) just outside the north-eastern corner of the park.
Administratively, Matobo National Park incorporates theLake Matopos Recreational Park, being the area around Hazelside, Sandy Spruit and Lake Matopos.
The national park is located within the southern Africabushveldecoregion.
The national park is the oldest in Zimbabwe, established in 1926[1] asRhodes Matopos National Park, a bequest fromCecil Rhodes. The original park borders extended well to the south and east of the current park. These areas were redesignated for settlement as part of a compromise between the colonial authorities and the local people, creating the Khumalo and Matobo Communal Lands.[3] The park area then increased with the acquisition of World's View and Hazelside farms to the north.
The current nameMatobo reflects the correct vernacular pronunciation of the area.
The Matobo Hills were designated as aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site in 2003. The area "exhibits a profusion of distinctive rock landforms rising above the granite shield that covers much of Zimbabwe".[4]
Matobo National Park has a wide diversity of fauna: 175 bird, 88 mammal, 39 snake and 16 fish species.[5] Game includewhite rhinos,sable antelopes,impala andleopards. The park contains the world's densest population of the latter,[6] due to the abundance ofhyrax, which make up 50% of their diet.[7] The game park in the west has been restocked withwhite andblack rhinos, the former from KwaZulu-Natal in the 1960s and the latter from the Zambezi Valley in the 1990s. It has been designated as an Intensive Protection Zone for the two species,[8] as well ashyenas,hippopotami,giraffes,zebras,wildebeests andostriches.[9]
Matobo National Park contains the highest concentration of black eagles, and breeding pairs of these birds, worldwide.[10][11]
A limnological research centre has operated since 1950 at Maleme Dam[12] and researched species such as the yellow-fish,Barbus mattozi.[13]
The Matobo Hills is an area of high botanic diversity, with over 200 species of tree recorded in the national park, including themountain acacia,wild pear and thepaperbark acacia.[7] There are also manyaloes, wild herbs and over 100 grass species.[5] Many types of rare endemic plants have been recorded.[14]
Matobo National Park is home to a diverse array of fungi, which play a critical role in the ecosystem. These organisms, includingsaprophytic andmycorrhizal species, decompose organic matter, recycle nutrients, and support plant health throughsymbiotic relationships. Fungi enhance soil fertility and structure, contributing to the stability of the park's unique granite landscapes.[15][16] Additionally, they serve as a vital food source for various insects and small mammals, further enriching the park's biodiversity. Certain species of fungi found in the park are also collected and consumed by local communities, showcasing their cultural and ecological significance.[17] The presence of fungi underscores the interconnectedness of flora and fauna in this ecologically rich environment.[18]
The Matobo Hills are composed entirely of granite, making up the Matopos Batholith.[19][20] The granite weathers into fantastic shapes, such as thebalancing rocks known asMother and Child Kopje. Between the granite mountains, narrow valleys form. These are often swampy valleys known as dambos or vleis, due to runoff from the whaleback mountains.[7] These valleys form the headwaters of theMaleme,Mpopoma andMtsheleli rivers, and the source of theThuli River is just east of the park.
San (Bushmen) lived in the hills about 2,000 years ago, leaving a rich heritage in hundreds ofrock paintings. There are over 3,000 registered rock art sites,[7] with the main periods of painting being between 320 and 500 C.E.. In the many crevices and caves, clay ovens and other historic artefacts have been found,[11] and various archaeological finds date back as far as the Pre-Middle Stone Age, around 300,000 B.P.[21][22] The following major sites have been developed for tourist access:
Bambata Cave is a major archaeological site,[23] located in the west of the national park, north of the game park on the Kezi-Bulawayo road. The frieze includes elephants, giraffes, warthogs, tsessebe and mongoose.[24]
Inanke Cave has the most extensive paintings, located in a remote cave accessible by a three-hour hike from Toghwana Dam. Along the route of the hike is anIron Age furnace.[23]
Nswatugi Cave contains friezes of giraffes, elephants and kudu.[23][24] Access is from Circular Drive, west of Maleme Dam. A human skeleton was found here dating 42000 BC belonged to Middle Stone Age.[14]
Pomongwe Cave,[2] near Maleme Dam, was damaged by a preservation attempt in 1965, where linseed oil was applied to the paintings.[25] Archaeological digs within and downslope of the cave revealed 39,032 stone tools, several hearths, with the main fire-making areas were in the centre of the cave floor. Bone fragments showed thathyrax formed a major part of the meat component of the diet of early human inhabitants of the cave, which also includedtortoise,baboons and larger game animals. The oldest material on the site is probably pre-Middle Stone Age.[21][26]
White Rhino Shelter is a small site near Gordon Park, on the main tarred road through the park. The frieze includes the outline of large rhinos, which is said to have inspired the re-introduction of the species in the 1960s.[27]
The grandeur and stillness of the hills has contributed to their hallowed reputation, especially to theShona andNdebele people. Many rituals and other religious activities are performed in the hills. Before the colonial era, it was the headquarters of the spiritualist oracle, the Mlimo.
The hills were the scene of the famousindaba between white settlers andNdebele leaders in 1896—theSecond Matabele War, known in Zimbabwe as the FirstChimurenga—which ended with the assassination of the Mlimo byFrederick Russell Burnham, the American scout, in one of the Matobo caves.[28] Upon learning of the death of the Mlimo,Cecil Rhodes boldly walked alone and unarmed into this Ndebele stronghold and persuaded theimpi to lay down their arms.[29] During the indaba it was also in these hills thatRobert Baden-Powell, theFounder of Scouting, first learnedwoodcraft, the fundamentals ofscouting, from Burnham.[30][31] Today much of the pottery and artifacts found on cave floors and most of the clay grain bins in the hills are remnants from the 1896 rebellion era. There are other reminders too - bronze plaques dotting the area mark the sites of armed forts or brief skirmishes.
Cecil Rhodes,Leander Starr Jameson, and several other leading early white settlers, includingAllan Wilson and all the members of theShangani Patrol killed in theFirst Matabele War, are buried on the summit ofMalindidzimu, the 'hill of the spirits' -- this is a great source of controversy in modern Zimbabwe as this is considered a sacred place by nationalists and indigenous groups.[32][33] This mount is also referred to as the World’s View. (Not to be confused with theWorld's View, Nyanga).Mzilikazi is also buried at Matopos Hill.
A memorial shrine, erected by theMemorable Order of Tin Hats (MOTH), an organization that seeks to commemorate the sacrifice of Rhodesian servicemen and women during World War One and World War Two, can be accessed in the Park.
This is the main camp in the centre of the park, and hosts the park headquarters. All accommodation is self-catering. There are eighteen lodges and six chalets, the former fully equipped and the latter with communal ablutions and without crockery or cutlery. Three of the lodges, Imbila, Black Eagle and Fish Eagle, offer views over the Maleme Gorge. Imbila Lodge offers a higher standard of luxury with ensuite bathrooms and teak furniture.[27] Camping and caravan sites are situated along the eastern shores of Maleme Dam.
Located in the south, this camp offers campings and caravan sites.
Located on Circular Drive, west of Maleme Dam, this camp offers campings and caravan sites.
Located in the east, this camp offers campings and caravan sites.
Located in the west of Lake Matopos Recreational Park, near the Hazelside Office, this camp offers campings and caravan sites.
Located in the east of Lake Matopos Recreational Park, this camp offers campings and caravan sites.
Located in the north of Lake Matopos Recreational Park, this camp offers campings and caravan sites.
The Boy Scouts Association of Zimbabwe operates a camp called Gordon Park, in the north of the Mtsheleli Valley. Gordon Park is a 115 ha lease from the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority and is maintained as far as possible close to natural conditions. In addition to camping sites for Scout Troops there is a small cottage.[34] TheGirl Guides Association of Zimbabwe maintains a camp site at Rowallan Park, in the north of the Mtsheleli Valley.
Big Cave Camp is a privately owned camp, bordering the Matobo National Park. The Camp offers four star accommodation in seven granite under thatch lodges and separate camping facilities elsewhere on the property. Activities on offer include game drives, game walks, bird watching, tours to famous rock art galleries, as well as tours to Rhodes Grave. The Big Cave property is approximately 2,000 acres (8.1 km2), and is ideal for walking and birdwatching. Facilities include a natural rock pool for swimming, the "Leopards Lair" bar and dining area which incorporates a huge granite boulder into the building, as well as separate library area.[35]
Camp Amalinda and Matobo Ingwe Lodge are commercial lodges.
By road fromBulawayo: Take Robert Mugabe Way in the city centre; this turns into Matopos Road which continues south some 30 km to the park boundary. This is a two-lane tarred road. A single lane tarred road continues to Maleme Dam and Rest Camp. The remaining roads in the park are gravel or earth, but suitable for most vehicles. However, access to Toghwana Dam during the rainy season may require four wheel drive.
The park can also be reached fromGwanda: taking the Thuli-Makwe road towardsKezi and turning north on the main Kezi-Bulawayo road.
Some game can be seen throughout the park, with regular sightings of white rhino, sable antelope and impala. However, the best viewing is to be had in the 105 km2 Game Park, in the west of the national park. The game park, also known as Whovi or Hove Wild Area was established with animals translocated from the border areas ofHwange National Park.[36] It has been restocked with white and blackrhinos.[37] Other animals to be seen includesable antelope,giraffe,zebra,impala,wildebeest andostrich. On rare occasion in the late afternoon to early evening visitors, can be lucky enough to spotleopard, with many nights being disturbed by the ruckus of baboons screaming due to leopard attacks. There are two game viewing hides.
With its scenery, climate and safe environment, Matobo has a number of hiking trails. Shorter hikes and walks include:
Longer hikes include:
Accompanied hikes, with an armed game scout are available from Maleme Rest Camp[27]
The33 miler road race is run annually in the park.[27]
Supervised horse trails are arranged by the Parks and Wildlife staff.[38] There are two routes:
The manydams in the park allow for pleasant fishing, notably forTilapia and bass. Bass were stocked into seven of the parks dams from the research station at Maleme Dam.[12] The park entry fee includes a fishing license.[9]
Boating is possible on the largerdams, such as Maleme, Mtshelele, Toghwana and Lake Matopos. Privately owned boats are permitted subject to approval of the parks' officials.[9]
A Zimbabwean cheese has been namedMatopos, after the hills.[39]
The name of the park has been used twice in films: According to director Stéphanie Machuret, the title and landscape in her 2007 filmMatopos, about a traditional healer, were inspired by the park.[40][41] The name was also used for the fictional Democratic Republic of Matobo in the filmThe Interpreter.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)| International | |
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