'Minister Abedinico Ncube is a greedy man,' says residents

Residents of Ultra High township in Gwanda have described Matabeleland South provincial affairs minister Abedinico Ncube as a greedy man amid reports that he is demanding cash upfront from residents who want to connect electricity from a transformer which he negotiated to be installed in the area.

The township which has gone for over a decade without electricity remains in the dark despite the transformer.

Ncube's butchery and grocery shop are the only buildings in the area with electricity.

Some businesses adjacent to the minister's building are still using generators for power with the minister remaining adamant that he has to be paid for his "efforts".

However residents of the town have remained defiant saying they will rather remain in the dark than pay Ncube.

"As far as we are concerned the transformer is the property of ZESA and no-one can claim ownership over it," said a resident who spoke on condition of anonymity.

ZESA officials are reportedly afraid to defy Ncube and have been failing to connect residents who want electricity in their homes.

A meeting between residents and councilor Thulani Moyo and Gwanda central member of parliament Edison Gumbo did not bear fruit.