Lutumba

Lutumba is a village in Beitbridge District in the province of Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe. This is a small rural growth point along the Masvingo–Harare route. The inhabitants are dominantly Venda speaking and some Tsonga speaking people, too. It is now abuzz with lots of shops and has developed into a Business centre. Near by villages are Juta, Tshapfuche, Tshigomele, Tshamnanga, Tshitumbelele, Tshantswilikiti, Tshibvumelani, Hamugwazhuli, Jatsha and a borehole from Juta area has been the main water supply to the area in the '80s. It is now a resort where most people from Beitbridge town come to relax during weekends and there is a local soccer team called Stone Breakers that is in Division One according to the Zimbabwe football association rankings.

Lutumba is the hub of the above listed villages and its influence is felt to as far as Matshiloni some 20 km north and Tongwe some 20 km northwest. It attracts business due to its proximity to Beitbridge town and being alongside Masvingo–Harare road. It has seen high incidences of crimes like robberies, fights and prostitution especially during holidays and cattle sales. Business has been on the rise in Lutumba which by 1995 had just about five shops and two grinding mills. As of 2015 it had approximately forty shops, ten grinding mills, seven night clubs and two lodges. About 400 m eastwards of the shopping point, there is a homestead of a well known hardworking old man, Tshalumbila Ndou who has a project of moulding standard and block bricks. He sells his bricks even to Beitbridge town. Half a kilometre west of the business centre close to haBandula area there is an abbatoir built by Uncle Chiromo and currently run as Sox abbatoir.

The only school is Lutumba SDA primary which is run by the Adventist church. It is served by secondary schools like Vhembe, Tshidixwa, Tongwe and Nuli with the nearest one Tshidixwa being about 5 kilometres away. This challenge of having few, and distant both primary and secondary schools makes the youths vulnerable to violent behaviors since others do not even see the mouth of the school while parents will be saying their children are at school. This challenge is affecting both the community and national development since these kids will be awashed with abject and squalid poverty since they will not be employed. Other school youths do not even complete ZJC. They cross to nearest plantations in SouthAfrica. The community needs special attention as far as sensitization of the importance of education in community development is concerned. The Secondary School which is under construction by the Seventh Day Adventist eastwards of the primary school will help the community to uproot intellectual zealous for community development. Close by is a Roman Catholic Training Centre.

Lutumba lacks facilities like clinics with only a private clinic to serve it. The nearest government clinic is at Nuli some twelve kilometres east. Recently the Rural District council is putting more focus on Lutumba to develop it and as a result residential stands are being availed. This would improve its outlook and make the place peri-urban.

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