Binga

Binga boys 16 & 20 arrested for armed robbery

Published

2 years ago

October 22, 2024

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

Police in Hope Fountain, Bulawayo, have arrested two boys from Binga for robbery.

The accused, Billiat Mumpande, a male adult aged 20 of Sinamagonde, Binga, and his co-accused, a male juvenile aged 16 from the same village, were arrested for their involvement in a robbery that occurred on October 17 and 18.

On October 17, at around 1800 hours, the complainant, a male adult aged 48 of Hope Fountain, was at his workplace when he was approached by the accused persons who pretended to make some genuine enquiries from him.

Billiat and the 16-year-old boy were armed with pellet guns, and Tedious Dube, who is still at large, was armed with an Okapi knife.

The accused persons suddenly pointed their pellet guns at the complainant, threatening to shoot him.

Tedious also produced his Okapi knife, threatening to harm the complainant if he made any form of resistance.

The accused persons then force-marched the complainant into his room, where they ordered him to sit down. They searched his pockets and took his cash, US$413, which was in his pair of trousers’ pocket, and his Huawei cellphone, the police said.

The accused persons went on to ransack the complainant’s room, looking for valuables, but managed to take the complainant’s solar panel.

After taking the complainant’s property, the accused persons locked him inside his room from outside and went away with the keys.

On October 18, at around 0630 hours, the complainant, a female adult aged 28 years of the same place, opened the shop for the day’s business at her workplace.

While she was in the shop, the owner of the shop came to the shop, intending to do a stock take. After some minutes, a customer also got into the shop, intending to buy bread.

As the three complainants were all in the shop, the three accused persons got into the shop, pretending to be genuine customers.

One of the accused persons tendered US$3 and asked the shopkeeper to serve them with one loaf of bread and a 2-liter Coke.

The shopkeeper then told them that their money was not enough.

During the conversation, Tedious , who was armed with an Okapi knife, went beyond the shop counter where the owner of the shop and her shopkeeper were standing and threatened to stab the shopkeeper while demanding money.

He went on to search the shop shelves, taking US$430, which was on the shelf, US$60, which was on the Biscuit plastic container, one 750ml Viceroy, four 100ml Mayfair beers, one 750ml Cape Real spirit beer, the shopkeeper’s Itel cellphone, and threatened the owner of the shop with an Okapi knife and forcibly took her Itel cellphone.

The accused persons further slapped the customer on her forehead and forcibly took her Samsung Galaxy cellphone, and they then fled from the scene.

The report was made at the police station, and the police attended the scene and made some investigations at the scene, where they uncovered that the accused persons were staying in a local bush hideout where a local person saw them.

A swift reaction was made, which led to the arrest of Billiat and the 16-year-old boy at the hideout.

The police recovered a black bag with a pellet gun case, a black and red satchel, a black and white Fabian jacket, which the 16-year-old boy was putting on during the commission of the offenses, and a solar panel stolen from the first complainant.

The total value stolen is US$1132, and the value recovered is US$10.

Binga

Questions raised over mining revenue and development in Binga

Published

3 days ago

June 11, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY NOMVELO SIZIBA

Parliament has requested information on how mining revenue generated in Binga is contributing to local development amid growing calls for communities to benefit more directly from natural resources found in their areas.

In a question directed to the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, Joseph Cumanzala seeks details on the amount of revenue generated from mining operations in Binga District and how that revenue is being allocated or reinvested into development projects in the Zambezi Valley.

The question further asks how Binga is being integrated into national development plans and which priority projects have been earmarked for the district.

The issue speaks directly to a broader national debate around resource governance and whether communities living in resource-rich areas are receiving a fair share of the economic benefits generated from their regions.

Residents and civic groups have long argued that improvements in infrastructure, health services, education and water supply should be visible in areas contributing to national economic activity.

Binga

Government outlines plans to expand healthcare services in Binga

Published

1 month ago

May 15, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

Government says it is implementing several measures aimed at improving healthcare services in Binga District, including deploying more nurses, intensifying outreach programmes and strengthening disease control interventions in remote communities.

The update was given in Parliament by Deputy Health and Child Care Minister Sleiman Kwidini in response to questions from Binga North MP Joseph Cumanzala.

Cumanzala had asked Government to explain what interventions were being undertaken to improve healthcare delivery in rural Binga, reduce malaria and waterborne diseases and expand healthcare facilities in the district.

Responding in Parliament, Kwidini said Government intended to increase the national health workforce significantly by 2030.

“To ensure an adequate health workforce, the Ministry of Health and Child Care is planning to double the number of health workers by 2030,” he said.

He added that Binga had already received additional primary healthcare nurses deployed across rural health centres to strengthen service delivery.

Kwidini said outreach programmes remained a key strategy in addressing healthcare access challenges in remote communities.

“For the hard-to-reach communities, we have managed to sustain outreach services, especially for the immunisation of children under five years,” he said.

“Outreach services mean our health teams will bring health services directly into communities to cater for the elderly and young ones, thus reducing travel distance to health facilities,” he added.

The deputy minister also highlighted Government efforts to control diseases common in the Zambezi Valley.

“With the help of the head office, the district has managed to put neglected tropical diseases such as bilharzia under control through mass drug administration working together with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education,” Kwidini said.

Binga remains among Zimbabwe’s malaria-prone districts because of its climatic conditions and proximity to large water bodies including Lake Kariba and the Zambezi River.

The parliamentary response comes as communities in the district continue calling for better-equipped clinics, improved ambulance services and increased staffing in rural health centres.

Binga

Government acknowledges healthcare access challenges in Binga

Published

1 month ago

May 14, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

Government has acknowledged the geographical and infrastructural challenges affecting healthcare delivery in Binga District, with Deputy Health and Child Care Minister Sleiman Kwidini telling Parliament that authorities were trying to strengthen services in remote communities through outreach programmes and increased staffing.

The response followed questions raised by Binga North MP Joseph Cumanzala, who had asked the Health Ministry to explain what measures were being taken to improve healthcare services in rural Binga, reduce malaria and waterborne diseases in the Zambezi Valley and expand healthcare facilities in line with population growth and economic activity.

Cumanzala first raised the concerns more than a month ago through written parliamentary questions amid growing complaints from communities over poor access to clinics, long travelling distances and recurring disease outbreaks in parts of Binga.

Responding in Parliament this week, Kwidini said the Government was planning to double the number of health workers by 2030 as part of efforts to improve healthcare delivery across the country.

“To ensure an adequate health workforce, the Ministry of Health and Child Care is planning to double the number of health workers by 2030,” Kwidini said.

He told Parliament that more primary healthcare nurses had already been deployed across rural health centres in Binga to strengthen primary healthcare services.

The deputy minister also acknowledged the difficulties faced by hard-to-reach communities in the district, where some villagers travel long distances to access clinics and hospitals.

“For the hard-to-reach communities, we have managed to sustain outreach services, especially for the immunisation of children under five years,” he said.

The ministerial response also focused on disease control programmes in the Zambezi Valley, where malaria and waterborne diseases remain a recurring concern because of climatic conditions and access to safe water.

Binga communities have for years raised concern over shortages of medical staff, poor road networks, inadequate ambulance services, defunct mortuary and limited healthcare infrastructure in remote wards.

The district, which borders Lake Kariba and the Zambezi River, also regularly records malaria cases during the rainy season while some communities continue relying on unsafe water sources.

Kwidini said the ministry was additionally promoting the upskilling of healthcare workers to strengthen service delivery in rural districts.