Mabutweni
'Where the soldiers are' — named for its single men's quarters; also known as Number 2 and eZinkabini.
Mabuthweni means “where the soldiers are”: amabutho, the regiments. The name was not about soldiers at all. It was given because the area began as bachelor quarters, housing for single men working in the city.
Another name
The Herald (Mabikwa, 2024) adds that the area was also called Number 2, and eZinkabini, “at the place of the oxen.” Men living there were not supposed to bring in wives or girlfriends, and so were called izinkabi, oxen.
The single-men’s quarters were a deliberate policy. In 1949, by the City Council’s own count, there were seven places for single men for every family house in the city’s townships.
What we don’t know yet
Did you, your father or grandfather live in Mabutweni’s single quarters? What was it like? We would like to hear.
Sources
- Bulawayo’s suburb names, A to M
- F. Q. Mabikwa, ‘Tracing the roots: How Bulawayo’s townships reflect city’s rich Ndebele heritage’, The Herald, 2 November 2024
- ‘Bulawayo Municipality’, NADA No. 37 (1960), pp. 75–80
Do you know more about this? Corrections, photographs and your own account are all welcome, and a correction is published on the page with the date it was made. Send something in.