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Bocha · Mutare District · Manicaland

Mwatipedza Village — Our Home

Mwatipedza Village is located in the Bocha area of Mutare District, Manicaland Province, Zimbabwe. We are a community of the Marange clan — descendants of Gandidzanwa's 31 sons who conquered and settled this land generations ago.

Our village takes its name from Mwatipedza, the 27th son of Gandidzanwa, who was given this dunhu in the great division of the Marange territory. The clan name Marange itself derives from "Marangwa" — meaning "you have been disciplined" — the name given as Gandidzanwa's family departed Makoni.

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A Village With Deep Roots

Mwatipedza Village sits in the Bocha area of Mutare District, Manicaland Province. Our community is part of the wider Marange clan — descendants of Gandidzanwa's 31 sons who settled this land generations ago.

Led By Ishe David Marange

Village Head David Marange has led Mwatipedza Village since October 2012, continuing a proud succession from Tete Amaruza, Ishe David Marange (grandfather), Philmon Marange, and Noah Mwatipedza.

Investing In Community & Heritage

From preserving the Marange family lineage to supporting local agriculture, education, and youth development, Mwatipedza Village is committed to honouring its past while building a prosperous future.

Village Head

Ishe David Marange

Installed as Village Head of Mwatipedza Village in October 2012, Ishe David Marange continues a proud line of leadership that traces back through Philmon Marange, Noah Mwatipedza, Ishe David Marange (grandfather), and the caretaker chief Tete Amaruza — all the way to the founding son Mwatipedza, 27th son of Gandidzanwa.

+263 77 223 8890 villagehead@mwatipedzavillage.com Get In Touch

Community Projects

Development initiatives improving life across Mwatipedza Village.

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Project focus

Solar-Powered Water Grid

Stabilizing access to clean water through smart metering and community technicians.

Phase 2 · 82% funded

Project focus

Bocha Learning Studio

Converting an abandoned granary into a digital classroom and artisan lab.

Design Sprint · Launching August 2026

Project focus

Agroecology Demonstration Plots

Training 120 lead farmers on drought-smart cropping and soil cover systems.

Planting Season · 40 hectares prepared

News & Updates

The latest from Mwatipedza Village — events, milestones, and stories from the Bocha area.

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History Feb 22, 2026

MARANGE DYNASTY OF BOCHA

Newcomers to the world of Shona politics could hardly find a better point at which to start than the Marange dynasty of Bocha: it offers a neat little case history of struggle for political power and land, with the enforced peace of colonial rule only just suppressing the older methods of conducting politics in the last century. At a first glance at the map, Bocha appears to be cut off from the surrounding country by natural features: on its northern border lies the Mutanda range, while on the east and west, joining in the south, run the Odzi and Save rivers, both of them major streams that are difficult or impossible to cross at the height of the summer rains.

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