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Court Reporter
ZESA Holdings’ electricity distribution arm has been fined $280 000 for failing to rectify an infrastructural condition that saw a 13-year-old girl being electrocuted at Movern Farm in Chegutu after she came into contact with a low hanging 11kV conductor.
The Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) had been dragged to court by the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) for failure to rectify an infrastructural condition that posed electrical risk to the public.
The failure to address the problem by ZETDC contravened the Electricity (Public Safety) Regulation Statutory Instrument 177 of 2018.
The dangerous low-hanging line had been reported to ZETDC’s Chegutu depot eight days prior to the fatal accident, but was not rectified.
ZETDC only moved in to rectify the anomaly after the accident had occurred.
The case was heard at the Kadoma Magistrates Court on July 2, where ZETDC pleaded guilty for contravening section 5(1)(e) as read together with section 5(2) of the Electricity (Public Safety) Regulations, SI 177 of 2018.
The State urged the court to impose a severe fine since a young life had been lost as a result of ZETDC’s negligence.
The court considered the aggravation submissions and imposed a fine of $280 000 against ZETDC.
If ZETDC fails to pay the fine by July 30, will result in attachment and execution of its property.
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