Glen Norah, Harare
Features
The suburb borders with Glen View and Highfield townships. Highfield is regarded to be where the fight for the liberation struggle began. Glen Norah is divided into three sections A, B and C, with A bordering with Glen View. Glen Norah C is along the High Glen Road towards Chitungwiza/Beatrice Road and also borders Highfield. Glen Norah B is in the middle of A and C.
Glen Norah has been the home of notable Zimbabweans including Stunner, Addington Dzingirai, Alexio Kawara, and Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga. It has been home to the deceased footballer George Shaya [Dynamos and Zimbabwe international], former Kaizer Chiefs soccer star Tinashe Nengomasha, and artists Simon Choper Chimbetu and Sulumani Chimbetu (Sungura).
Glen Norah is home to seven primary schools: Ruvheneko, Infill, Kudakwashe, Zuvarabuda, Shiriyedenga, Chembira, Glen Norah Seven, and Glen Norah Nine, all which offer kindergarten through grade seven. There are two public secondary schools in Glen Norah, with only Glen Norah One offering A-levels. St. Peter's Kubatana is also in Rockview which is a Glen Norah middle class density area, a work of the Jesuits which goes back to 1963 and includes a technical school.
History
Nearby, Glen View and Glen Norah both used to be a farm owned by a farmer known as Mr. Baxter. Glen Norah got its name from Norah, who was Baxter’s wife. ‘Glen’ is old English for a narrow valley. Used in conjunction, it became Norah’s valley while Glen View, on higher ground, gave the view of the valley.[1]
High Glen Road was part of the farm stretching down to the Mukuvisi River. The early inhabitants used to call the place KwaBhakasta. The farmhouse is at present-day St Peter's Kubatana school. The eucalyptus trees that now dominate the area were first planted during the area's farming days and today are colloquially known as Mapuranga, the place of wood. The park in Glen Norah was formerly a dam on the farm that until the mid-1960s when the farm was drained and developed into a residential area.[2] Prior to that, people used to purchase cheap pork hides and bones from Baxter Farm on the city's outskirts.[3]
References
- "Of suburb names and colonial hangover | Celebrating Being Zimbabwean". 30 June 2017.
- Uneven Zimbabwe: A Study of Finance, Development, and Underdevelopment. Africa World Press. 1998. ISBN 9780865435391.
- "Harare, capital of Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe Field Guide".