Businessman, Basil Nyabadza, has been arrested on allegations of stealing electricity at one of his premises after he connected illegal wires that bypassed Zesa metres.
Nyabadza is jointly charged with two of his employees, John Makuna and Rueben Mawarira, who are employed as the manager and block man at Halfway House in Headlands.
They appeared before Rusape magistrate, Mr Gift Manyika, who did not ask them to plead. The matter was moved to September 17 for trial.
Public prosecutor Mr Marlon Makamba told the court that the suspects violated Section 60A (b)(C2) of the Electricity Act Chapter 13:19 which criminalises the bypassing of the Zesa meter.
“The complainant is ZETDC represented by its loss control officer Lux Bungu. Sometime on a date unknown to the prosecutor up to 24 March 2018, Basil Nyabadza sent an electrician from Harare to go and connect electricity at Halfway House.
“The electrician came and was given permission by Makuna and Mawarira to connect electricity cables illegally thereby bypassing the Zesa meter. The accused persons had no lawful right to act in a manner they did,” said Mr Makamba.
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