A suspected commercial sex worker in her twenties was reportedly electrocuted on Monday at a clients place in Highfield, Harare, while hanging clothes on the laundry line outside.

The woman had been hired overnight on Sunday evening, but decided to wash her clients clothes the following morning and as she was hanging the clothes on the laundry line, she was electrocuted, dying on the spot, said Lameck Chirwa, who stays in the neighbourhood where the incident occurred.

But in a dramatic development, the deceaseds relatives

have reportedly refused to bury her, demanding payment of roora (bride price) first from the alleged client, Last Mbele.

An officer at Machipisa Police Station confirmed the incident, but referred further questions to Harare provincial police spokesperson Inspector James Sabau.

Sabau could, however, not comment as he was said to be in a meeting.

The sex worker, Mati Nhamo, had reportedly spent the night at her clients place and decided to do laundry the following morning when tragedy struck.

Reports gathered indicated that the laundry line could have come into contact with a live cable resulting in her instant electrocution after she touched the line.

Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) personnel who ferried the deceaseds body to Machipisa Police Station, from where it was transferred to Harare Central Hospital for post-mortem blamed the death on an electrical fault.

The troubled client, Mbele, said he was in a dilemma as the woman was only his regular girlfriend, insisting that the deceaseds family should press charges against Zesa and not him as he was not responsible for the death.

Meanwhile, Nhamos body was still at Parirenyatwa Hospital pending finalisation of the matter between the concerned families.

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