Hatakuenda

Hatakuenda is a small rural community located in the southeastern part of Zimbabwe, within the boundaries of Mashonaland East Province. The settlement lies approximately 12 kilometres west of the town of Chinhoyi and is surrounded by predominantly open grassland and mixed woodland that support the region’s agriculture.

The origin of the name Hatakuenda derives from the Shona phrase “hatakuenda,” meaning “we do not go,” a reference that local tradition says recalls an early mining expedition that failed to locate usable resources, prompting the early settlers to establish their farmstead at this particular site instead of continuing further westward. Although the village remains modest in size, it has historically served as a hub for surrounding farms, offering a small market, primary school, and a health clinic that caters to residents of Hatakuenda and nearby villages.

Agriculture represents the mainstay of Hatakuenda’s local economy, with crops such as maize, millet, beans, and groundnuts cultivated by smallholder farmers. Livestock keeping, particularly cattle and goats, also contributes to household incomes. Periodically, the community markets produce at the Chinhoyi Saturday market, where traders from Hatakuenda bring fresh produce and artisanal goods.

In recent years, the village has benefited from national rural development programmes that have improved drinking water supply infrastructure and roads. A new borehole project completed in 2018 has increased access to clean water, while the construction of a gravel link to Chinhoyi has enhanced connectivity for transport and commerce. Despite these infrastructural gains, Hatakuenda remains a largely agrarian community with a culture rooted in traditional Shona customs and communal cooperation.