Connect with us

Binga

On the streets, blind and battling cancer: A mother’s quest to feed her children

Published

on

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

In the scorching heat of Victoria Falls, a mother of five, Chipo, sits under a small tree shade, her skin scratched and raw, her eyes blinded by cancer.

Advertisement

Yet, her spirit remains unbroken as she embarks on a daily struggle to survive and provide for her children.

“I came here to seek help,” Chipo says, her voice laced with desperation. “I live with albinism and this skin cancer is eating away at me, and I’m almost completely blind. But I have to keep going for my children’s sake.”

With her husband deceased, Chipo is left to fend for her children alone. She travels 370 kilometers from Binga Siabuwa to Victoria Falls, braving the elements and her disability to beg on the streets.

Advertisement

Her 11-year-old son accompanies her, his eyes filled with a deep sadness as he watches his mother struggle.

His duty is to guide her, welcome the visitors and often, helps her to sing to attract some well-wishers.

“We survive on street begging,” Chipo explains. “I make about US$5 on a good week, which I bank and when it gets to US$10, I send it home for the children to eat because there is too much drought back home. I left them to take care of themselves.”

Advertisement

Chipo’s children are in grades two, five, form one,  form three and one already married. She is determined to give them an education despite the odds.

“This one,” she says, pointing to her grade five child, “is crying because he doesn’t have a satchel, and the shoes and books are not adequate, but he loves school.”

Chipo lives in a bagdad (temporary house made with plastics and other cheap materials) in Chinotimba.

Advertisement

Despite the hardships, Chipo remains determined to provide for her children.

“I have to take care of this one in form three, followed by the form one, grade five, and grade two last born,” she says, her voice filled with resolve. “So these children are raised by street begging, so l will be traveling to prepare for them as schools are about to open.”

Chipo’s son clings to her side, his eyes fixed on his mother with a deep concern.

Advertisement

He knows the struggles they face, and he knows that their survival depends on his mother’s strength and resilience.

“Sometimes I feel like giving up,” Chipo admits. “But then I look at my children, and I know I have to keep going. I have to be strong for them.”

More about her skin cancer to follow.

Advertisement

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Binga

Binga man kills wife, takes own life

Published

on

BY STAFF REPORTER

Police in Binga, Lusulu are investigating a case of murder and suicide where a man killed his wife and later hanged himself.

Advertisement

Police on X said, “On 22/10/24, Masciline Dube (63) was found dead with a head injury near a general dealer shop at Chinonge Business Centre. A blood-stained stone was recovered at the scene.

“The victim’s husband, Abel Sibanda, was linked to the case and was later found dead, having hanged himself from a tree branch with a wire.”

Last month, another Binga man stoned his wife to death before handing himself at a nearby bush.

Advertisement

The motive behind the tragic events is still unknown, and police are continuing their investigation.

 

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Binga

Man knifed to death for talking to a girl in Lubimbi

Published

on

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

A 30-year-old Lubimbi man has appeared in court for murdering a neighbor after he became agitated by seeing the deceased talking to a girl.

Advertisement

Qiniso Dube of Mafururo Village, was arraigned before the Hwange Magistrates Court on allegations of murder.

Allegations are that on the 20th of October at around 0200 hours, the accused person together with his friends were on their way home from Ntando shops, Lubimbi.

The now deceased joined them and started talking to a girl who was part of the group.

Advertisement

This did not go down well with the accused who ordered the now deceased to go to his village.

The now deceased refused. The accused person left the group and proceeded to his homestead where he allegedly armed himself with a knife.

When he returned, he found the now deceased still talking to the girl.

Advertisement

He punched the now deceased before he allegedly stabbed him with the knife three times on the chest, once on the back, and once on the left hand.

A Police report was made leading to his arrest.

The accused person was remanded in custody and will appear in court again on the 5th of November.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Binga

Binga boys 16 & 20 arrested for armed robbery

Published

on

BY STAFF REPORTER 

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

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2022 VicFallsLive. All rights reserved, powered by Advantage