Mapfungautsi State Forest

Mafungautsi State Forest
Mapfungautsi State Forest
Interactive map of Mafungautsi State Forest
Location	Gokwe South District, Midlands Province, Zimbabwe
Nearest city	Kwekwe
Coordinates	18°27′37″S 28°57′49″E / 18.4603444°S 28.9637472°E / -18.4603444; 28.9637472
Area	82,100 ha (203,000 acres)
Established	1953
Governing body	Forestry Commission

Mafungautsi State Forest is a protected forest located in Gokwe South District, Midlands Province, Zimbabwe. It is the third largest indigenous State forest in Zimbabwe, covering approximately 82,100 hectares ^[1]

History

The Mafungautsi State Forest, which does not encompass the whole of the Mapfungautsi Plateau (locally perceived as Mapfungautsi Mountains by easterly lowland communities), was demarcated as a State forest in 1953 (101,000 ha). However, in 1972, the north-eastern part of the forest was reclassified as a communal area, and some parts of the southern area were gazetted, reducing the forest's size ^[1].

Ecology

Mafungautsi State Forest is a crucial watershed for the Sengwa-Mbumbusi, Lutope, and Ngondoma River system, which flow into the Sanyati river and eventually the Zambezi river. The forest is home to teak and mahogany tree species, but these are at risk due to deforestation and poaching^[1].

Conservation

The State Forest lies largely west of the Kwekwe-Gokwe Highway, starting from Chemagora T-Junction and stretching westward. In contrast, the plateau's more scenic side is situated east of the highway. Mapfungautsi State Forest is managed by the Forestry Commission, a central government body responsible for enforcing regulations and making arrests. However, the commission has faced challenges in driving out invaders, with reports of political interference hindering efforts to apprehend intruders^[1].

Threats

Mafungautsi State Forest faces significant threats from deforestation, with an estimated rate of 1.5% per year, three times the estimated average over the period 1999-2010^[1].

Mapfungautsi Mountain Range Mystery

Mapfungautsi Plateau viewed from Eastern lowlands

Although Mapfungautsi is technically a plateau, people approaching it from the eastern, northeastern, and southeastern lowlands often perceive it as a chain of mountains due to its steep escarpments, elevated forested ridges, and abrupt rise from surrounding plains. Mapfungautsi Plateau is not alone in this perception as a mountain. The Jos Plateau in Nigeria is often referred to as the "Jos Mountains" by people in the surrounding lowlands. Despite being a plateau, its steep edges and elevated position make it appear mountainous to those approaching from the plains. In African toponymy, especially in pre-survey naming traditions, visual perception matters more than geomorphological precision. What looks like mountains often gets named as such. Each year, an unexplained natural phenomenon takes place on this plateau (specifically the communal land part of it), visible only to those perceiving it as a mountain range. When the rainy season approaches, smoke billows from the mountain range during the day, and locals witness a raging fire at night. However, by the next day, there's no sign of fire – vegetation remains untouched.^[2] From the visible strength of the phenomenon, locals could traditionally predict whether it would be a good or bad agricultural season (the stronger, the better). This "smoke-without-fire" phenomenon draws parallels with the biblical burning bush and has earned the range its name, Mapfungautsi (the smoking mountain). Traditionalists attribute these unusual fires to the spiritual realm. Similar mysterious fires occur elsewhere, like:

• Turkey's "Eternal Flame" (Yanartas National Park)
• Azerbaijan's "Land of Fire" (Yanar Da)
• Germany's "Burning Mountain" (Brennender Berg)

Kirima

Kirima kopje standing prominently in front of Mapfungautsi Plateau seen behind it

For lowland communities perceiving the plateau as Mapfungautsi Mountain, "Mapu" primary school sits atop the eastern bend (on the plateau but outside the state forest). To locals on the plateau, it's a plateau; to others, a mountain. Eastward lies Kirima Communal Land with Kirima Clinic and Kirima Primary School along the Bluegum-Chemowa Road, near the mountain's foot. The name Kirima suggests that locals have viewed the plateau as a mountain since long ago. Though Kirima's Zimbabwean origin language isn't attested, its form parallels Bantu words for "hill/mountain" in Kikuyu, Kamba, Swahili – indicating naming elevated terrain similarly across Bantu areas.^[3]

Chidoma Kopje rising prominently to the right of Mapfungautsi Plateau.

The name Kirima likely refers to elevated terrain, a notion reinforced by nearby place names like Chidoma (Shona for small mountain/hill), located northeast and southwest of Kirima. The clustering of elevation-related names suggests that Kirima meant hill/mountain. With Chidoma (synonyms: kadoma, katuma, chikomo) meaning small hill/mountain, Kirima likely conveys a similar meaning – fitting, given the presence of a small mountain near the greater range.

Etymological Support for ‘Kirima’ Meaning Hill/Mountain

Evidence from Bantu language data: In Kikuyu (a Bantu language spoken in Kenya), the word kĩrĩma is attested as meaning “hill” or “mountain,” with cognates in Kamba (kiima = hill/mountain) and Swahili (kilima = hill) as semantic equivalents. “kĩrĩma … hill, mountain; [cognate with] Swahili kilima (‘hill’).” This shows that across several eastern Bantu languages, forms like kĩrĩma/kiima/kilima are used for elevated landforms. Swahili basis of African mountain toponyms: The Swahili word kilima is distinct from mlima, the latter being the standard Swahili term for “mountain.” However, kilima is widely used to refer to hills or smaller mountains, and it frequently appears in place names (e.g., Mount Kilimanjaro, where early sources interpreted kilima as “hill” or “little mountain”). This pattern shows that Bantu-derived place names often incorporate a term for elevated terrain, even if the exact grammatical form varies. Cross‑linguistic and cartographic practice: European explorers and cartographers recorded many African landscapes using local words for hills and mountains. As seen in eastern Africa (e.g., kĩrĩma in Kikuyu for highland features, and kilima in Swahili for hill), these linguistic roots influenced place names across continental Bantu geography.

Kirima (elsewhere)

The place name _Kirima_ is derived from Bantu linguistic roots denoting elevated terrain. In some Bantu languages, _kĩrĩma_ corresponds to “hill” or “mountain,” a meaning reflected in related terms such as the Swahili _kilima_ (“hill”). - Kirima — Embu County, Kenya, a locality in Embu with an elevation around 1,060 m above sea level, situated near Ngandure and Gachuriri.^[4] - Kirima — Laikipia County, Kenya, a village in Laikipia with elevation ~2,422 m above sea level, near Shamenek and Maina.^[5] - Kirima — Rutshuru Territory, North Kivu, DR Congo, a village with elevation ~1,227 m in Rutshuru Territory of North Kivu province.^[6] - Kirima — Nyandarua County, Kenya, a village in Nyandarua, located near Mutundu and Nyangui.^[7] - Kirima Town — Moshi District, Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania, a ward/town in the Moshi Rural District of Kilimanjaro Region with a reported population of 11,486 in 2016, located on the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro.^[8] - Kirima — Western Uganda (Kanungu District), a village/hamlet in Kinkiizi, Kanungu District, in the Western Region of Uganda, with an elevation of ~1,411–1,864 m and situated near Kanungu town.^[9] - Kirima — Sierra Leone (Tonkolili District), a locale listed in global geographic databases as a populated place in Tonkolili District, Sierra Leone.^[10] - Kirima River — Taraba State, Nigeria, a minor watercourse/river feature in Taraba State, Nigeria.^[11] Kirimi Village, a rural settlement in Hawul County, Borno State, Nigeria^[12], with Wulijama Peak about 14km away and Gombara 18km away.

References

1. "Mafungautsi forest endangered". The Financial Gazette. 7 July 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
2. "Mapfungautsi: Flames that don't burn". The Sunday Mail. 28 July 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
3. "Kirima in Kikuyu". Kikuyu Dictionary. 7 January 2026. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
4. "Kirima, Embu County, Kenya" (Map). GeoView. 7 January 2026. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
5. "Kirima, Laikipia County, Kenya" (Map). Mindat. 7 January 2026. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
6. "Kirima, North Kivu, DR Congo" (Map). Mindat. 7 January 2026. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
7. "Kirima, Nyandarua County, Kenya". Kenya Primary Education Institution. 7 January 2026. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
8. "Kirima, Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania" (Map). Geoview Info. 7 January 2026. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
9. "Kirima, Kanungu District, Uganda" (Map). Places in the World. 7 January 2026. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
10. "Kirima, Tonkolili District, Sierra Leone" (Map). Mindat. 7 January 2026. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
11. "Kirima River, Taraba State, Nigeria" (Map). OpenStreetMap. 7 January 2026. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
12. "Kirimi Village, Borno State, Nigeria" (Map). OpenStreetMaps. 7 January 2026. Retrieved 7 January 2026.