Defunct Mortuary Forces Binga Families To Use Sand, Fertiliser To Preserve Bodies

Communities in Binga District, Matabeleland North Province, have been forced to use fertiliser, wet sand, and banana leaves to preserve the bodies of deceased relatives, as the local hospital mortuary remains largely non-functional.

Binga North MP Fanuel Cumanzala (CCC) recently raised the issue in Parliament, demanding that the Minister of Health and Child Care present “concrete plans” to permanently resolve long-standing problems at Binga District Hospital, including a mortuary that has “not been fully operational for a long time.”

Margaret Bernard, a village health worker in Tinde, said the absence of a functioning mortuary has left families with no option but to improvise.

“We are lamenting about the mortuary because it has not been easy over the years,” she said.

“When a death occurs at the hospital, they immediately carry the body to the homestead and use sand soil to preserve the body or fertiliser, especially when it is hot, as relatives prepare for burial.”

She said the problem has persisted for years, largely due to frequent electricity outages and refrigeration equipment that has remained broken since before 2022.

Bernard added that while some families have funeral policies, many cannot afford the cost of transporting bodies to alternative facilities in Hwange or Victoria Falls.

Elias Minde said his family was forced to resort to traditional preservation methods, using river sand and banana leaves.

“We spent three days wetting river sand and packing it around my uncle’s body, covered with banana leaves to keep the temperature down,” he said. “It is heartbreaking, but we cannot afford to travel to Hwange.”

Loveness Nyoni, from Chief Dobola’s area, said fertiliser is now being used in extreme cases.

“We have started using farming fertiliser to help preserve corpses when it is very hot,” she said. “We are in a crisis.”

Parliamentary records show that Cumanzala has also raised concerns about wider challenges at Binga District Hospital, including unanswered questions over its rehabilitation and its suitability for a nursing school.

He is further seeking updates on measures to combat malaria and waterborne diseases in the flood-prone Zambezi Valley region.

As of 7 April 2026, the Minister of Health had yet to respond to the inquiry, which has been repeatedly deferred since early March. – _CITE_