The Zesa worker who allegedly connected several houses in Sandton, Harare, in a private job will know tomorrow whether he has a case to answer when a Harare regional magistrate rules on his application for discharge at the close of the State case.

Reward John Edwin Mugwara of Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) was yesterday expected to file his written application for discharge with the State led by Mr Oscar Madhume responding today.

Mugwara, who is represented by lawyer Mr Nyasha Jonasi, is charged with corruptly concealing personal interest in a transaction from his employer.

He denied the charges saying he never dealt with Wilbert Mutengwa or other residents of Sandton Park as a private contractor for erection and connection of ZETDC powerlines.

Mugwara said the residents dealt with a third party who is known to him as a contractor.

“He knows these residents dealt with a third party whom he knew and it is that third party he knew who was the contactor and made them to buy electrical items from I & M Electrical Hardware.

“It is for having shown some acquaintance to this third party who vanished, that these residents chose to nail their dealings with the third party on him hoping, albeit mistakenly, that it would force him to reveal his whereabouts, which he is not aware of like themselves,” he said.

Mugwara claimed that there is no evidence linking him to the allegations.

The defence was that Mugwara could be accused of an offence simply because he knew a customer of I&M Electrical Hardware, as he never was innvolved in the erection and connection of the ZETDC power lines.

The State alleges that in 2016, Gysite (Pvt) Limited, as the developer of the stands, entered into the usual agreement with ZETDC Harare region to do line and substation construction, but with ZETDC supervising and approving the works.

Under the agreement, ZETDC Mabelreign would do the final inspection and create a connection point for the customers. All who paid Gysite Private Limited would receive clearance letters, which would be used by ZETDC’s Mabelreign office to switch them on.

In November 2020, Mugwara allegedly approached Wilbert Mutengwa and other residents in Sandton Phase 2, Westgate, and misrepresented to them that he was a registered contractor with ZETDC and that he was able to connect power lines to their area at an affordable charge.

The court heard that Mugwara, without disclosing his personal interest with ZETDC, received US$3 574 from Mr Mutengwa for connecting a power line.

It is alleged that Mugwara bought materials and erected six electricity poles without following ZETDC procedures. Mugwara failed to connect the electricity. Herald