20/05/2025
HFZC Public Health Coordinator Mr Nyasha Chingono Arrested and Charged with Theft of US$750 Borehole Drilling Deposit
04 May 2025
@ Hope for Zimbabwe Children (HFZC):
*Incident Overview: Theft of Trust Funds*
On Monday 03 February 2025, Chisumbanje police officially charged Mr Nyasha Chingono (40), a part-time public health coordinator at Hope for Zimbabwe Children (HFZC), with theft of trust funds amounting to US$750, which was meant to be a deposit for borehole drilling at HFZC’s Checheche orphanage site. The funds were to facilitate water access as part of a larger feeding program and infrastructure development project for vulnerable and homeless children and the surrounding community.
According to investigating police officer ,Tendai Mukoyi, working with officer-in-charge Paul Mbona, Mr Chingono was charged under Section 113(2)(d) of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act (Chapter 9:23). He faces two criminal offences:
Theft of trust property,
and Omit - Omission to record or properly account for trust funds under his custody.
Mr Chingono denied stealing the money, claiming instead that the funds had mysteriously “got lost.” However, nothing has been recovered to date.
*Mr Nyasha Chingono's Role and Background*
Mr Chingono, a full-time Environmental Health Technician at Zamchiya Clinic under the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health, was hired part-time by HFZC due to his expertise in public health. He has been working with Hope for Zimbabwe Children as temporary staff since 2017. On 26 January 2025 , he joined the team in Checheche and was also assigned to oversee public health aspects of the Checheche feeding program infrastructure, including the construction of a toilet, cooking shed, and borehole. The project to build the amenities was to run for a few weeks until February 2025.
Mr Chingono received a weekly wage of US$190 , free three meals a day, and free accommodation in a state of the art lodge with free wi-fi. He instead decided to use the opportunity to advance his personal agenda.
*Borehole Project and Financial Arrangement*
The borehole, essential to the sanitation and feeding program at the orphanage site , was quoted at US$1,750 by a drilling company in Chiredzi. HFZC, wary of paying the full amount upfront to an 'unknown' company they had known for the first time , agreed to pay a US$750 deposit in cash to be delivered on-site by Mr Chingono. The remaining US$1,000 was to be transferred directly to the company after successful completion of the borehole drilling.
On Saturday 01 February 2025, us$750 was sent via Remitly and collected by Mr Chingono at Mukuru in Checheche on the same day the borehole was to be drilled. HFZC staff accompanied him and confirmed receipt of the funds. However, due to logistical challenges (wet road conditions on Saturday and failure to appear by the drilling team on Sunday) , the drilling which was supposed to be done on the same day 01 February 2025, was postponed twice and rescheduled for Monday 03 February 2025.
*The Disappearance of the Funds*
On the agreed drilling day, Mr Chingono failed to pay the deposit, claiming the money had vanished mysteriously. According to Mr Chingono, he left the lodge for the orphanage site early that morning with the money only to lose the money when he looked for it , intending to pay the drilling company at the site.
He attempted to imply he was pick pocketed by turning his trousers back pocket inside out , an explanation that raised suspicion considering the imprudence of keeping such a large amount of cash in a back pocket.
*Police Involvement and Custody*
Following a police report by HFZC staff and Mr Chingono , investigating police officer Tendai Mukoyi visited the site and searched all present, including the borehole company team. No one had cash on them. Mr Chingono was arrested as the only suspect, taken into custody and remanded at Chisumbanje Police Station on 03 February 2025.
It was reported that while in custody, Mr Chingono confessed to have continued gambling and won US$260, implying he had used the trust funds for gambling purposes.
He was arraigned at Chipinge Magistrate Court on 05 February 2025, where Magistrate Mr Nixon Mangoti presided, and Prosecutor Mr Thembalani Dhliwayo represented the state. Mr Chingono was remanded in prison, pending further proceedings.
*Bail and Court Proceedings*
Mr Chingono later applied for bail at the High Court and was granted release on the conditions of:
-Posting US$300 bail
-Reporting to police every Friday
-Residing at the same address
-Avoiding contact with state witnesses
On 14 February 2025, Mr Chingono made a second court appearance, but the case was adjourned pending further evidence collection. Police sought his Ecocash statements, which were later obtained and the docket resubmitted to the court on 26 March 2025. The case now awaits a formal trial date , currently scheduled for 27 May 2025.
*Gambling Addiction and Behavioural Patterns*
Following the arrest, it has since emerged that Mr Chingono suffers from a severe gambling addiction, a fact confirmed by colleagues, room mates, and even close relatives who have been challenging him to stop the habit. He has admitted that he gambles, is in serious debt , and is always asking people for money but denies that he gambled the charity funds in question.
According to HFZC staff, Mr Chingono frequently gambled on his mobile phone, playing online games like Tundege (aeroplanes) ,on sports betting platforms.
Two HFZC staff members revealed that they observed Mr Chingono gambling during working hours and at night, often not sleeping or sleeping around 4.00am. He used Contipay and Ecocash to fund his activities and was heard bragging about being a 'serial gambler.'
A local councillor and colleagues further reported that Mr Chingono's gambling habits and addiction have caused poor work attendance, at the Ministry of Health, earning him the nickname “ghost worker.”
*Events Leading to the Alleged Theft*
On 01 February 2025, after collecting the US$750, Mr Chingono reportedly visited two women Ecocash agents at Checheche town centre at a popular wholesale shop depositing the new crispy US dollars into his Ecocash mobile wallet. These transactions were noted in the agent’s records as seen by HFZC staff who requested to see the transactions in the agents’ book.
On the night before the scheduled drilling (Sunday 02 February), Mr Chingono did not sleep, reportedly gambling into the early hours of Monday 03 February. At around 4:00 am, he put on his Apostolic church gown, hoping to “bless” his gambling attempts, a desperate act to win back the charity money he had lost. By morning, the money was gone, and he fabricated the pickpocketing story.
He was also seen by the borehole drilling team betting in person at a local shop.
*Impact on HFZC’s Feeding Program*
Due to the theft, HFZC’s feeding program has been placed on hold temporarily to allow court proceedings to finish. This has , delayed plans to provide free meals to vulnerable children in Checheche. The borehole project, vital for sanitation compliance, was supposed to be completed by 28 February 2025, ahead of the feeding program launch on 30 April 2025.
The loss of funds and the ongoing court process have significantly disrupted HFZC’s humanitarian operations, underscoring the damaging impact of financial misconduct on vulnerable communities.
*The Great Betrayal.*
HFZC Executive Director Ms Violet Makunike expressed deep disappointment, saying, “We placed our trust in Mr Chingono due to his qualifications and experience. This betrayal has not only set us back financially but has also delayed urgent support suffering children who are in desperate need of food and a community in urgent need of water.”
*Community Reaction and Organizational Response*
This betrayal has left the orphanage area community devastated, especially as the borehole project was seen as a lifeline in an area experiencing from chronic water shortages. Many community members had already celebrated the initiative, believing their long-standing water challenges were finally being addressed. That trust has now been shattered by the theft and deception of someone entrusted with furthering HFZC’s mission and vision. Following this breach of trust, Mr Nyasha Chingono is no longer working with Hope for Zimbabwe Children. It remains unclear whether he is still employed by the Ministry of Health.
*Misconduct by Mr Nyasha Chingono*
It has since come to light that Mr Nyasha Chingono has exhibited a pattern of dishonesty and irresponsible behaviour, which has had severe consequences for the feeding program beneficiaries and Checheche needy community at large.
On 31 January 2025, Mr Chingono approached a HFZC staff member and borrowed US$10, claiming he needed to urgently travel to Zamchiya Clinic, citing a cholera outbreak. He stated that, as the local Environmental Health Technician, he was required to respond. However, Zamchiya is approximately 50 km from Checheche, and Mr Chingono returned within less than an hour, an implausible timeframe for such a journey. This raised serious doubts about his claim.
Staff further reported that during visits to Checheche town centre, Mr Chingono would consistently stop at a local shop to engage with two EcoCash attendants, raising further suspicion about his conduct.
On another occasion, he borrowed money under the pretence of needing urgent medication for stomach acid issues. During this time, he admitted to the staff member bragging that he was a habitual gambler, claiming to have won US$7,000 and US$12,000 through betting and using the winnings to purchase a car and a residential stand. These claims are false , Mr Chingono owns neither a car nor a stand.
Contrary to expectations, he was not sleeping in the designated room at the HFZC accommodation but was instead spending long hours at night gambling online in the conference room.
HFZC provided Mr Chingono with bus fare (US$10) to travel from Chipinge to Checheche, as he had no cash of his own. His wife, a nurse at Chipinge hospital, later confirmed that their two children had not attended school since two weeks ago due to a lack of school fees, highlighting the family's financial difficulties due to a gambling habit. She also highlighted that they were planning on selling their refrigerator in order to pay back the money.
*Impact on Community Projects*
Mr Chingono’s misconduct has had serious ramifications for the Checheche Poverty and Shelter Project, a key initiative by Hope for Zimbabwe Children. This project was designed to provide essential infrastructure such as:
Shelter for vulnerable individuals.
A feeding program to supplement government hunger eradication efforts
Access to clean water through the construction of a solar-powered borehole
Key developments already completed include:
A durawall, built in February 2024, costing US$15,000
Installation of razor wire fencing in December 2024, costing US$2,500
Construction of a public toilet between 24 January – 15 February 2025, with expenses totalling US$3,000
While the public toilet was successfully completed, the cooking shed and borehole installation remain incomplete. A company had been identified to carry out the solar installation, but this and other plans are now on hold due to the disruption caused by Mr Chingono’s actions.
*The Road Ahead and Hope for Zimbabwe Children’s Commitment*
Hope for Zimbabwe Children remains steadfast in its commitment to transparency, accountability, and community development. The organisation will continue to work tirelessly to restore community trust, resume suspended projects, and ensure that the intended feeding program and borehole installation are completed as soon as possible. The actions of one individual will not derail the mission of HFZC,to serve the most vulnerable children and adults in Zimbabwe with dignity, compassion, and integrity.
What began as a trusted assignment to improve public health infrastructure for underprivileged children and community has turned into a criminal case of theft, clouded by addiction and negligence. HFZC now awaits justice, while the organisation continues to pick up the pieces, hoping to resume its vision to serve the most vulnerable in Checheche and beyond and create an environment whereby children's various needs are met.
HFZC will continue its mission despite the setback. The organisation will continue working on alternative strategies to recover the lost resources and resume the borehole drilling and feeding program as soon as possible and bring hope to the needy children.
As the case unfolds, Hope for Zimbabwe Children remains committed to supporting the vulnerable communities of Checheche and beyond, emphasizing that one man’s actions will not derail the greater vision.
Hope for Zimbabwe Children will also embark on activism to stop gambling and start programs to assist those affected and facing challenges and consequences resulting from gambling.
@ Hope for Zimbabwe Children
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+26377 384 5039
+447518 230 600 - 07518 230600
