In the community

Grace-and-Favour: Binga RDC builds $200k lakeside mansion for CEO despite government ban

Published

2 months ago

February 24, 2026

BY TANAKA MREWA

In a district where hunger drives thousands of children out of school and most households lack basic sanitation, a luxury four-bedroom house with a jacuzzi is nearing completion on the shores of Lake Kariba, built at public expense for the long-serving chief executive of one of Zimbabwe’s poorest local authorities.

An investigation by CITE reveals that Binga Rural District Council (RDC) has spent close to US$200 000 constructing a “grace-and-favour” home for its chief executive officer, Joshua Muzamba, despite a standing government directive prohibiting local authorities from building personal residences for senior officials.

The development has ignited questions about governance, accountability and political protection in a district consistently ranked among Zimbabwe’s poorest, and where residents say public resources are routinely diverted from desperately needed services.

The house sits on a two-acre stand overlooking Lake Kariba, in an exclusive peninsula neighbourhood about six kilometres from Binga town, surrounded by water on two sides.

Council records and sources familiar with the project say the stand, valued at over US$40 000, was allocated to Muzamba free of charge. The property includes four bedrooms – three of them ensuite – a jacuzzi and two garages.

The project’s cost and scale contrast sharply with living conditions in the district.

Official statistics paint a grim picture: ZimStat data shows that 73 percent of households in Binga lack toilets, while many communities travel long distances for schools and healthcare facilities amid largely impassable roads.

Education ministry figures indicate that in 2022 alone, 6 671 pupils dropped out of school, while more than 13 000 children were irregular attendees due to hunger.

Yet despite chronic underdevelopment, council funds have been channelled into the high-end residence.

Muzamba and the council did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

A ministry of local government circular issued on October 6, 2014 (Circular CX154) explicitly forbids local authorities from allocating institutional properties to employees, mayors or council chairpersons.

The ministry’s spokesperson Gabriel Masvora confirmed the directive remains in force.

“The government’s wish is to see improved service delivery prioritised in local authorities for the benefit of the people,” Masvora said. “Local authorities are a third tier of government which have systems and controls in place to ensure resources are used effectively.”

He added that councillors should scrutinise expenditures to ensure compliance with government policy and residents’ priorities.

The Association of Rural District Councils of Zimbabwe (ARDCZ), with Muzamba as chair, passed a resolution allowing construction of houses for senior officials after 10 years of service, effectively sidestepping central government policy.

Muzamba has led Binga RDC for 14 years, a tenure marked by recurring controversies.

Fanuel Cumanzala, the MP for Binga South (CCC) describes the CEO as a dominant figure operating with little internal resistance.

“He has become a liability to Binga,” Cumanzala said. “Whatever he does is for personal gain, not for the wellbeing of the people. Councillors are afraid to go against him.”

Cumanzala alleges the CEO survives political pressure because of backing from influential figures with economic interests in the district.

Muzamba lost his position in Zanu PF’s central committee in 2018 after the Supreme Court ruled public officials could not hold multiple posts simultaneously.

Concerns over governance at Binga RDC stretch back years.

In 2018, police requested a full audit of the council after investigations into suspected theft of trust property revealed potential financial irregularities.

The then senior assistant commissioner Stephen Mutamba, now police commissioner general, wrote to the local government ministry recommending a comprehensive audit after police uncovered evidence that council employees were allegedly under-receipting cash.

The subsequent ministry audit found serious weaknesses, including: bank transfers not being recorded in cash books; rampant under-receipting; an absence of an authenticated employment policy, exposing the council to nepotism and unethical hiring practices; and unsigned council minutes, raising doubts about the authenticity of the records.

Despite these findings, residents say meaningful corrective action never followed.

Muzamba is accused of protecting one employee, Lovemore Siamuyi, who was implicated in earlier investigations and remains employed.

Current and former council insiders allege the CEO has filled the local authority with relatives, claims he has not publicly addressed.

A council official, speaking anonymously for fear of reprisals, said a previous resolution capped staff numbers at 50 due to financial constraints, leading to retrenchments.

“But soon after that, more people started being employed,” the source said. “Now the place is flooded with his kinsmen.”

Employees describe a workplace climate of fear and factionalism.

Residents also question a council resolution allowing senior officials to purchase service vehicles at book value after five years, a policy they say disproportionately benefits senior executives and their associates.

“This means residents effectively buy new vehicles every five years,” said one ratepayer.

The council is reportedly struggling with cash flow, at times paying salaries through allocations of housing stands instead of wages.

Muzamba’s critics argue that such challenges make spending on his luxury house especially difficult to justify.

The Auditor-General has previously warned that similar practices elsewhere risk undermining service delivery. In 2022, Marondera RDC was flagged after building a CEO residence using capital development funds. The Auditor-General cautioned that “service delivery may be compromised as council funds are used for unintended purposes.”

Matabeleland North Minister Richard Moyo said his office had received no formal complaints about corruption at Binga RDC.

“We haven’t received any official reports pertaining to this matter,” he said, suggesting some allegations could be politically motivated disputes between councillors from different parties.

Meanwhile, the government says a Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) taskforce is examining corruption allegations across local authorities.

“If there are any reports made, the committee will swiftly look into the issues,” Masvora said.

The MP Cumanzala said it was particularly disheartening that communities in Binga remain trapped in poverty despite vast natural resources including Lake Kariba fisheries, forests teeming with wildlife and mineral wealth.

“Binga RDC is one of the worst run in the country in the sense that we have so much resources and a lot of potential and we receive a lot of attention from non-governmental organisations and the government itself, but those resources are being pocketed by certain people,” he said.

SOURCE: CITE

In the community

Zimbabwe moves to support human-wildlife conflict victims

Published

1 day ago

April 29, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Cabinet has officially approved a transformative National Wildlife Policy, marking the first major overhaul of the sector’s regulatory framework in over three decades.

For the communities of Matabeleland North—from the elephant-dense corridors of Hwange to the tourism heartbeat of Victoria Falls—the policy promises a radical shift in how local people coexist with and benefit from the country’s natural heritage.

Presented by Finance minister Mthuli Ncube on Tuesday, the new policy acknowledges that the wildlife sector has been “remarkably transformed” since the current laws were enacted in 1992.

The updated framework seeks to align Zimbabwe with modern international best practices, moving toward a “vibrant wildlife-anchored economy” that directly supports national development.

For residents of Hwange and Victoria Falls, the most critical breakthrough is the policy’s explicit focus on human-wildlife conflict (HWC).

The framework provides for the implementation of the Human-Wildlife Conflict Relief Fund, specifically designed to provide benefits and support to victims of wildlife encounters.

This is paired with new regulations for CAMPFIRE (Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources) and the establishment of dedicated wildlife corridors to reduce dangerous interactions between animals and human settlements.

The policy is built upon 10 strategic pillars, including community-based natural resources management and the equitable sharing of benefits.

Crucially, the government now recognises wildlife as a “public resource,” with the policy aiming to support devolution and enhance “active community participation.”

This ensures that present and future generations in Matabeleland North are not just neighbours to the game reserves, but active stakeholders in its socio-economic success.

However, community members say the success of the policy will depend on how effectively benefits are devolved to grassroots level.

“We have heard policies before, but what matters is whether the money reaches us,” said a Hwange villager, Eslina Ndlovu from Nemanhanga. “Our schools are struggling, some do not even have adequate classrooms or learning materials. If wildlife revenue is coming from our areas, it should help improve our education system.”

Another villager,Joseph Mwembe from Vukuzenzele village under Chief Mvuthu, echoed similar sentiments, calling for investment in health services. “We are living with wildlife every day, but our hospitals are not equipped. We don’t have proper referral hospitals or machines. If this policy is serious about supporting communities, then we must see that money building clinics, equipping hospitals, and improving services here in Matabeleland North,” he said.

Villagers stressed that without tangible improvements in infrastructure and social services, the policy risks falling short of its intended impact.

“If communities do not benefit in real terms, then it defeats the whole purpose of calling wildlife a national resource,” added Ndlovu.

The policy also introduces measures for fisheries conservation and the protection of indigenous plant species, with strict penalties for violations that threaten resource sustainability.

Hwange

CDF-funded borehole brings relief to Hwange ward 5

Published

2 days ago

April 28, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY NOTHANDO DUBE

Daniel Molokele has announced the successful rollout and verification of solar-powered boreholes across several wards in Hwange Central, describing the development as a major boost for communities long affected by water shortages.

In a statement issued Friday, Molokele confirmed that a solar-powered borehole in Ward 5 is now fully operational, bringing relief to residents who have endured prolonged periods without reliable water supplies. Community members reportedly expressed “absolute delight” at the development, citing the borehole as a critical intervention.

The Ward 5 project is part of four boreholes installed under the 2024 Constituency Development Fund (CDF). According to the MP’s office, verification visits conducted on April 17 across Wards 1, 4, 5 and 6 confirmed steady progress.

Ward 4 and Ward 6 boreholes have been operational since February, already serving local populations. In Ward 1, installation is nearly complete, with service expected imminently.

Molokele’s office also revealed that delays in Ward 5 were due to funding shortfalls after CDF allocations were exhausted. The MP personally covered an outstanding US$2 000 to ensure completion.

Meanwhile, Ward 14 remains without a borehole despite being included in the original proposal. Officials acknowledged ongoing water challenges in the area and said efforts are underway to mobilise additional funding to complete the project.

Local leaders, councillors and ward development committees participated in the verification exercise alongside the project contractor, who provided technical assessments at each site.

Nkayi

Burial preparations underway for Nkayi well tragedy victims

Published

1 week ago

April 22, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The Nkayi community is preparing to lay to rest the Grade 2 pupil and his neighbor who tragically died in a gas-filled well in Ward 19 last week.

According to Ward 19 Councillor Thubelihle Mabuza Ncube, the young Grade 2 boy is scheduled to be laid to rest today, while the other deceased individual will be buried tomorrow. The community is currently awaiting the arrival of the bodies from the Nkayi regional mortuary. The remains were recently delivered back to the regional mortuary following the completion of postmortem examinations in Bulawayo.

The double fatality occurred when the young student was reportedly lured into a neighbor’s well by an elder to retrieve a bucket in exchange for sweets. The child was quickly overcome by suspected carbon monoxide and a total lack of oxygen. A neighbor who entered the shaft in a desperate rescue attempt also perished after being overwhelmed by the toxic air.

Due to the hazardous conditions within the well, rescuers were unable to enter the shaft and had to use a makeshift wire tool to retrieve the bodies from the surface. Councillor Ncube previously expressed deep distress over the incident, noting that Nkayi is hurting deeply.

While the community mourns, legal proceedings are also in motion. The councillor has indicated that the accused in the matter has been charged by the police. This update follows a series of tragic events in the Nkayi district, including a recent fatal elephant attack in Ward 13.