dyton mupawaendaThe Herald, October 9, 1992
MARONDERA celebrates its 100th birthday on October 17 and the build-up to the occasion has started in earnest with competitive events lined up for this weekend.
There will be an all-comers bicycle race in the Marondera show-grounds tomorrow while the national triathlon takes place on Sunday.
This major event is expected to be held annually as the town has the necessary facilities.
The birthday will be marked with a grand centenary flag parade through the town, complete with drum majorettes, brass band, mounted police, and floats.
A vintage car rally was held last weekend as well as a public picnic at Ruzawi, the original site of the town.
The mayor’s installation ceremony will take place in the morning in the town’s central park, The Green.
LESSONS FOR TODAY
Marondera was previously known as Marandellas, which was corrupted from Marondera, chief of the ruling vaRozvi tribe, who lived in the area.
During the colonial era, the town was used as a rest stop as colonialists made their way from Harare to Mutare.
The rest stop was destroyed during the Shona resistance of 1896 and was later moved 4 miles (6 km) north to accommodate the Beira-Bulawayo railway line.
Later when the Boer War broke out in South Africa the British used it as a staging point for military operations into the Transvaal, and during the second World War it gave refuge to displaced Poles.
It became a village in 1913 and 30 years later it was transformed into a town.
Online Reporter