CLAIM: Makokoba is the most populous suburb in Bulawayo
VERDICT: FALSE, although Makokoba is the oldest township in Bulawayo, it is not the most populous. There are five Bulawayo suburbs with bigger populations than Makokoba.
Several references, including news articles such as one run by NewsDay on August 31, 2021, often credit Makokoba with being Bulawayo’s most populous suburb.
However, official data obtained from the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstat) shows that Cowdray Park, not Makokoba, is Bulawayo’s most populous suburb. According to the 2012 census, Cowdray Park, had 45 114 people, more than double Makokoba’s 18 128 inhabitants. In 2015, the Bulawayo City Council reported that Makokoba had 4 802 households and a total population of 17 910.
According to the records, Cowdray Park had 45 114 people while the oldest suburb of Makokoba had a population 18 128 inhabitants.
Other suburbs in Bulawayo that had more people than Makokoba include Pumula South with 30 815, Entumbane (29 131), Emganwini had 20 902 while Emakhandeni recorded 19042.
Over the past decade, Cowdray Park, Pumula South, and Emganwini have seen growth in residential construction due to the availability of residential stands while there have been no such developments in Makokoba.