ZETDC worker fined for illegal power connections

By Yeukai Karengezeka

A Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) worker has been fined $600 for illegally connecting electricity to 11 households in Chitungwiza while pretending to be on official duty.

Notion Charakupa (49), who is employed as a revenue assurance assistant, pleaded not guilty to abuse of office charges, but was convicted after a full trial by Chitungwiza resident magistrate Mrs Yeukai Chigodora.

Charakupa was ordered to pay the fine or risk spending six months in prison.

His two accomplices Maxwell Chadambura and Alfred Zakaria, who were responsible for connecting electricity to the 11 homes will be sentenced tomorrow.

Prosecutor Mr Norman Koropi proved that from January to April this year, Charakupa together with Chadambura and Zakaria bought electrical cables, a ladder, electricity meters and boxes and proceeded to Garikai houses in Unit L, Seke, where they illegally connected electricity to 11 houses.

Mr Koropi said the three lied that they were ZETDC employees and were on official duty since they were all wearing the company’s overalls and using the company’s vehicle, which was being driven by Charakupa.

The matter came to light when another ZETDC worker Shepherd Marunga received an anonymous tip off that the trio was connecting electricity to houses using the old fixed system instead of the prepaid system leading to their arrest.

The illegal connection prejudiced ZETDC of a lot of revenue as the connections bypassed the charging meters. The Herald