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Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Court Reporter
A REDCLIFF couple whose three-year-old child was electrocuted when their house caught fire following a spark emanating from unsecured power cables, is suing the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) for $182 000.

The amount, according to court papers, is for damages for pain and shock, loss of life and property and medical expenses.

Mr Tichafa Moses Chiwanza and his wife Ms Kudakwashe Chekai lost one of their twin sons in January this year after he was electrocuted when their house was gutted by fire emanating from faulty electricity cables. The other twin child suffered severe burns.

The couple, through its lawyers, Mutatu and Partners, filed summons at the Bulawayo High Court citing ZETDC as the defendant.

In papers before the court, Mr Chiwanza and Ms Chekai are demanding $182 000 from the power utility.

“On January 7, 2017 and at Number 17 Quorn Road, Redcliff there was a fire outbreak which occurred as a result of defendant’s fault in that it wrongfully and negligently created a dangerous situation by failing to properly maintain its power service cables on one of its distribution poles which supplied electricity to the plaintiffs’ house,” said the couple in its court papers.

“Due to defendant’s wrongful and negligent conduct, electricity sparked from the cables on the pole which connected electricity to our house thereby igniting the fire which resulted in the inferno. ZETDC had a duty of taking care and maintaining the poles and power cables, but failed to do so.”

The couple said despite demand, ZETDC has failed, refused or neglected to pay the money. ZETDC has not yet filed a notice to defend the summons.

@mashnets