Mzingwane
The Mzingwane River - one of the longest rivers in Zimbabwe, historically known as the Umzingwane River or the Umzingwani River, is a large left-bank tributary of Zimbabwe's Limpopo River. It begins near Fort Usher in Matobo District, south of Bulawayo, and flows into the Limpopo River near Beitbridge, downstream of the Shashe River's mouth and upstream of the Bubye River's mouth.
The Mzingwane River is an ephemeral river, with flow mainly constrained to the months of rain (November to March), with the highest flow observed between December and February, except where dam activities have affected it. The river produces 9.3 percent of the Limpopo Basin's mean annual discharge, making it the basin's third greatest tributary.
The Insiza, Inyankuni, Ncema, Umchabezi (not to be confused with Mtshabezi), and Mtetengwe Rivers are major tributaries of the Mzingwane River. The lower Mzingwane River is a sand-filled waterway with huge alluvial aquifers under the alluvial plains. The estimated water resource potential of these aquifers ranges from 175,000 m3 to 5,430,000 m3 in the channels and from 80,000 m3 to 6,920,0003 on the plains. Some of these aquifers are now being exploited to supply water for residential consumption, livestock watering and dip tanks, commercial irrigation, and market gardening.
Length: 205 miles
