Kadoma (Zimbabwe)

The City of Kadoma is located in the centre of Zimbabwe on the main highway between Bulawayo and Harare. It was established as a result of the discovery of gold and was called Gatooma until 1982. A village management board was constituted in 1907 and by 1912 the town was the third largest in the country. Gatooma became a municipality in 1927 and was granted city status in 2000.

A municipal Coat of Arms was devised soon after the town became a municipality. This was revised and registered on 26 July 1968 with the following blazon:

Arms: Tierce in Pairlie reversed gules Or and Argent in chief a nugget of gold and a cotton plant with bolls eradicated proper and issuant from the base of a Mount Vert representing Kadoma’s kopje charged with a representation of a Native Chief’s badge.

Crest: On a wreath of the colours a Trek Wagon between a slip of Jacaranda and a slip of Flamboyant (Pionciana Regia) both flowered all proper.

Motto: “Floreat Gatooma”.

The nugget of gold in the shield represents the mining industry on which the town was founded. The cotton plant represents both the textile industry and agriculture, being of major economic importance in the area. The mount bearing the Chief's badge is representative of Chief Katuma, whose kraal was situated near the site where the town was founded and after whom it was named. The crest is an ox-wagon which is representative of the European Pioneers who established the town which is between a slip of a jacaranda and a flamboyant tree - both of which are common in the area. The motto means "Florish Gatooma".

The Motto was amended following the change of name in 1982. The Arms are now placed in the centre of a flag which comprises five unequal vertical stripes of green, yellow, white, yellow and green.
Valentin Poposki, 18 Sept 2021

Kadoma (Zimbabwe)

Kadoma flag