Chivhu woman ordered to pay US$2 786 for illegal water connection

Benyure, who was the Registrar of the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe, testified under oath that he was representing the council in criminal proceedings, knowing this was false.

Ivan Zhakata

Herald Correspondent

A 65-year-old Chivhu resident has been ordered to pay nearly US$2 800 to the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) after being convicted for illegally bypassing her water metre and accessing water for free for over a decade.

Maud Funhiro was sentenced to 12 months in jail at the Chivhu Magistrates Court (Case CHIVP41/25) but the entire sentence was suspended on conditions including full restitution to ZINWA by May 30, 2025.

The court heard that Funhiro illegally diverted water from the ZINWA system into her home, fowl run and garden since 2014, avoiding payments for her usage.

The scheme was uncovered during a ZINWA operation aimed at reducing non-revenue water in Chivhu.

The magistrate suspended four months of her sentence for five years, provided she does not commit a similar offence during that period.

The remaining months were suspended on the condition that she repays the full amount owed.

In a statement, ZINWA’s head of corporate communications and marketing Mrs Marjorie Munyonga commended the public for assisting in uncovering illegal water usage and urged citizens to report any suspected cases.

The case served as a warning to others who may be illegally accessing water, as authorities intensify efforts to curb such activities and recover lost revenue.