Bulawayo residents have accused Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) workers of demanding bribes for them to repair electrical faults.
ZETDC workers are supposed to fix electric faults free of charge but reports suggest that some of them are demanding cash from residents before they attend to faults.
Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) chairperson Ambrose Sibindi confirmed receiving complaints from residents. He said:
Residents say they are experiencing serious challenges with ZESA staff. They claim that ZESA employees are demanding bribes before they attend to faults.
We have been telling residents to report such cases or to arrest those ZESA employees defrauding people. It is their duty to fix faults.
As an association, we will be writing to ZESA on behalf of residents and urge them to supervise their workers to ensure such bad practices come to an end with immediate effect.
ZETDC western region general manager Lloyd Jaji said such behaviour from the company’s employees is unacceptable. He said:
Residents should report such incidents. We attend to faults free of charge, what our employees are doing is wrong, and I call upon the residents to report such incidents.
We are also determined to partner with the residents to set traps for these people and catch them.
Nkulumane resident Thembekile Gumbo alleged that she had to pay US$20 in order to have an electric fault at her house fixed.
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