Chipinge district is pre-dominantly occupied by the Ndau people and with a small portion of its southern tip occupied by the Shangani people. According to 2012 census, the district’s population was 326 476. Commercial farmers occupy most of the area in region one and two.Before independence in 1980, like in all other districts of Zimbabwe, the black population lived in communal lands and fell under the Chief’s Councils. The small-scale farmers formed their Area Associations which governed their operation. The large-scale farmers fell under the authority of the Rural Councils.
Through the Rural Councils and the District Councils Acts, the district was governed by two local authorities, the Rural Council and the District Council. The Rural Council governed the commercial farming area and the urban population in those areas. The District council governed the communal lands as well as the small scale farming area to a certain extent. In the mid-nineties through the Rural District Councils Act, the District Council and the Rural Council were merged into one local authority- the Rural District Council which became the local authority for the whole district. Chipinge town was administered by a Town Board under Chipinge Rural District Council.
In 2003 the Chipinge Town Board was separated from the Chipinge Rural District Council to form the Chipinge Town Council. Therefore, presently there are two local authorities, the Chipinge Town Council governing the urban area with 8 wards and the Chipinge Rural District Council governing 30 rural wards. The headquarters of the Chipinge Rural District Council is located in the Chipinge town which is 188 km from Mutare and 48 km from the Mt Selinda Border post.
There are two Growth Points in the Chipinge Rural District Council which are Maunganidze growth point and Checheche growth point, with Checheche being the biggest and fastest growing. There are 8 designated Rural Service Centres and several Business Centres in the district. Development activities in Rural Councils are guided by Key pieces of legislation i.e. Rural District Councils Act, Provincial Council and Administration Act, Regional Town and Country Planning Act.
Chipinge District, one of the seven districts of Manicaland, is situated in the extreme south of the province. The district borders with Mozambique in the east, Chimanimani District in the north with the Save River constituting its western boundary where it borders with Buhera, Bikita and Chiredzi districts. The district covers an area of approximately 5 393 square kilometres. The district is prone to natural disasters like droughts, cyclones and earth tremors which ultimately affect developmental activities and service delivery in the district.
Chipinge Rural District has wide range of Agricultural business opportunities which have a positive impact on the National Economy. The District is rich in and has become a hub of farming produce such as macadamia nuts, avocado, bananas, pine apples, and a wide range of plantations. For Tourism Chipinge Rural District Council also has hunting opportunities through established hunting concession.
