adminThe three families who are from Senga suburb were arrested after a ZETDC employee on a routine round of meter reading discovered that the three houses had been reconnected.
“The ZETDC employee knew that the three houses had no electricity after they were disconnected for non-payment of power bills. When he discovered that they had decided to reconnect power, the ZEDTC employee went to the police station at Senga and police made follow-ups resulting in the arrest of the three families,” said a neighbour who preferred not to be named.
However, when the case was taken further for prosecution at the Gweru magistrate’s courts, two individuals who are the owners of two of the properties that allegedly illegally reconnected power were acquitted for lack of evidence.
Meanwhile, the third person, Shelton Ndlovu (32) of Senga area Two, was yesterday arraigned before Gweru magistrate Ms Florence Nago to answer to a charge of hot wiring under Section 60 A (1) of the Electricity Act, Chapter 13.
He pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to an effective two years in prison.
The complainant in this matter was Mr Polite Shoko who represented ZETDC.
For the State, Mr Michael Mhene said between November last year and 9 January, this year, Ndlovu reconnected electricity at his house after power had been terminated for non-payment.
He said a ZETDC employee discovered the theft of electricity on 9 January while he was on duty reading meters in the area.
The matter was reported to the police at Senga Police Station leading to the arrest of Ndlovu.
Online Reporter