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Rutendo Mapfumo

TWO teenagers from Nekabandama Village, Ward 12 in Hwange District, sustained severe burns after being electrocuted by a live wire while tending to cattle in the grazing fields.

The pair unknowingly played with a dangling electrical cable, which had been idle for some time, assuming it was not live. The incident has raised concerns about public safety and the need for better communication from power authorities.

Mr Moses Mpala, the father of one of the boys, said his son, Crown Mpala, suffered serious burns.
“My son was electrocuted on Sunday. The dangling cable had been there for a while and the community was aware of it. Children would often play near it, believing it was not live,” said Mr Mpala.

ZETDC

It is suspected that the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) was conducting maintenance work on the power lines in Ward 12, which may have led to the cable becoming live.

“No communication was made by ZETDC officials to warn us that the dangling cable was now live. As a result, my son and his companion suffered serious burns, with my son sustaining injuries on the left side of his body,” said Mr Mpala.

The teenagers were rushed to St Patrick’s Hospital before being transferred to the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) for specialised treatment due to the severity of their injuries.

“The boys are missing school, and doctors have indicated that they require extensive medical attention. They will have to remain in hospital for some time,” said Mr Mpala.

Efforts to get a comment from ZETDC were unsuccessful. Meanwhile, community members have urged the power utility to improve communication and safety measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future. —New Ziana