By Fanuel Chinowaita
Harare, Zimbabwe – January 29, 2025 – The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has arrested a Harare woman who allegedly posed as a Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) official and attempted to extort money from a local business.
Sheila Agere (52) of Kuwadzana Extension was apprehended after she and an accomplice, Nesbert Nyashanu, visited Richhive Investments in Waterfalls, Harare, falsely claiming to be ZESA inspectors.
Dressed in a Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) branded sky-blue work suit, the duo requested to inspect the company’s electricity meter.
Following the inspection, Agere and Nyashanu allegedly informed business owner Fanuel Mambume that there was a fault in the ZESA connections and demanded a payment of US$690 to prevent disconnection.
Mambume, however, became suspicious and asked the pair to produce their ZESA identification cards. Nyashanu claimed his was in a vehicle outside and left on the pretext of retrieving it but never returned.
Agere, who failed to provide any credentials, was subsequently restrained by Mambume’s employees before a report was made to ZACC. She was later taken into custody and is expected to appear before the Harare Magistrates’ Court on January 31, 2025.
ZACC has since urged members of the public who may have fallen victim to Agere and her accomplice to come forward and report the matter.
Authorities continue to warn businesses and individuals to verify the identities of individuals claiming to represent ZESA or any other utility service providers before making any payments.