Binga RDC lakeside mansion controversy for the CEO residence

Binga DRC

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In a district where hunger forces 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 rural authorities.

An investigation by the Centre for Innovation and Technology (CITE) reveals Binga Rural District Council has spent close to US$200,000 constructing a so‑called “grace‑and‑favour” residence for CEO Joshua Muzamba, despite a government directive (Circular CX154) barring local authorities from building personal homes for senior officials.

The property sits on a two‑acre stand valued at more than US$40,000, allocated free of charge in an exclusive peninsula neighbourhood about six kilometres from Binga town. The house features four bedrooms, three en-suites, two garages, and a jacuzzi, a level of luxury sharply at odds with the district’s stark realities.

Lakeside house under construction in Binga

ZimStat data show 73% of households in Binga have no toilets, and education ministry figures indicate thousands of pupils drop out or attend irregularly because of hunger and distance to schools. Yet council funds have been channelled into the high‑end residence while basic services remain underfunded. Neither Muzamba nor the council responded to repeated requests for comment.

The Association of Rural District Councils of Zimbabwe (ARDCZ), chaired by Muzamba, passed a resolution permitting construction of houses for senior officials after 10 years of service, a move critics say sidesteps central government policy. Past audits and police inquiries have flagged governance weaknesses at Binga RDC, including under‑receipting, unrecorded bank transfers, and unsigned council minutes. Residents say little meaningful corrective action followed.

Local MP Fanuel Cumanzala described the CEO as a dominant figure operating with little internal resistance, alleging that councillors fear challenging him. Critics also point to alleged nepotism in hiring and council resolutions that shift costs onto ratepayers. The Auditor‑General has warned that diverting capital funds to executive residences risks undermining service delivery; similar practices were flagged in other councils in 2022.

For many in Binga, the lakeside mansion has become a potent symbol of inequality and contested governance: a public‑funded lakeside home with a jacuzzi in a district where children go hungry and families lack toilets.

Binga RDC CEO mansion