State House, Bulawayo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids State House |
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Government House under BSAC rule (1899)
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| Former names | Government House |
| General information | |
| Type | Official residence |
| Architectural style | Cape Dutch |
| Town or city | Bulawayo |
| Country | Zimbabwe |
| Completed | 1897 |
| Renovated | 2018 |
| Owner | Government of Zimbabwe |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Cecil Rhodes |
State House, once known as Government House, is a special building in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. It used to be the main office for the British South Africa Company when they ruled the area.
This important building was built in 1897 by Cecil Rhodes as his own home. Today, it serves as the official residence in Bulawayo for the President of Zimbabwe.
Contents
A Look at State House History
Early Days and Important Meetings
The land where State House stands was once a village (called a kraal) belonging to King Lobengula. He was a leader of the Ndebele people. It was a place where he won a battle long ago.
Cecil Rhodes built State House in 1897. It was one of the first strong British buildings in the area. In its garden, there was a big tree. Under this tree, Rhodes and King Lobengula talked and made agreements. Rhodes built it as his own home. Its design was like a famous house in Cape Town called Groote Schuur.
Becoming a Government Building
Later, when Southern Rhodesia became more self-governing, the building became property of the British government. In 1964, the British Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, visited. He met with Joshua Nkomo, a leader of a group called the Zimbabwe African People's Union. They talked about Southern Rhodesia becoming independent with black majority rule. This was against the wishes of the local leader, Ian Smith.
When Ian Smith declared Rhodesia an independent country on its own, State House became an official home for the Prime Minister of Rhodesia. It was where Smith had his last public event as Prime Minister. This happened before the country changed its name to Zimbabwe Rhodesia.
State House in Modern Zimbabwe
After Zimbabwe became an independent country in 1980, the Prime Minister, Robert Mugabe, asked for the building to be renamed State House. This was done along with another Government House in Harare.
By 2011, the Bulawayo State House was not in good shape. This was because Mugabe rarely used it when he visited Bulawayo. Reports said it was very run down, even the toilets were broken. Despite this, it was still used for important state events. In 2018, the new President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, said he would fix up State House. He wanted to make it grand again after years of neglect.
