SYDNEY MUBAIWA
CHIVHU- A 65 -year-old woman from Chivhu has been slapped with a 12-month jail term after she was found guilty of illegally connecting water at her house since 2014.
Maud Funhiro appeared before Chivhu Resident Magistrate who wholly suspended the jail sentence on condition that she restitutes US$2 786 to the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) by May 30, 2025. The Magistrate however suspended four months for five years.
According to court records, sometime in 2014, Funhiro bypassed a water meter at her home and illegally diverted water from the ZINWA system into her house, fowl run and a garden resulting in her using water without payment for the period.
The matter was discovered during a ZINWA operation to reduce non-revenue water in the town.
In a statement, ZINWA Corporate, Communications and Marketing head Marjorie Munyonga thanked stakeholders and members of the public for their support, urging those who suspect illegal water connections to report such cases.
“ZINWA wishes to thank all stakeholders and members of the public for the assistance they continue to give during such operations and urges those who suspected any illegal water usage to report such cases,” she said.
