ZRP Arrest 6 People For Vandalism Of ZESA Transformers

Police in Mashonaland Central Province have arrested six suspects for vandalism of ZESA transformers and theft of armoured cables all valued at US$12 504.

Zimbabwe Republic Police Mashonaland Central Province Deputy Spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Naison Dhliwayo said the suspects allegedly vandalised two transformers at Piedmont Farm and stole copper windings. He told ZBC News:

Today ZRP Mashonaland Central province would like to register an appreciation to a job well done by members of the public which led to arrest of six accused persons for theft and vandalism of ZESA cables and recovery of various properties of ZESA. These are the fruits of a launch on 21 June 2022 at Glendale after we discovered there was a lot of theft and vandalism of infrastructure.

Residents followed them and effected a citizens’ arrest before informing the police, who recovered copper windings, armoured cables, a bolt cutter, spanners and five satchels containing clothing.

Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company Bindura District Manager, Engineer Rungano Gapa said cases of theft have slightly decreased following an anti-vandalism campaign, although recent cases are disturbing. He said:

We are looking at US$100 to US$120 000 lost every month and I’m glad to say following the campaign we had at Glendale, the rate of vandalism has gone down slightly, but it is still disturbing, with latest incident we are witnessing being at Piedmont Farm where we lost two transformers.

He added that thieves are targeting the windings within the transformer tank which they sell for about US$300. He added that it would take the power utility approximately US$12 000 to get that transformer replaced

Meanwhile, a seventh suspect, David Kamutiti is on the run and police are appealing for information leading to his arrest.

Earlier this year, ZESA, the local power utility, claimed that it had lost US$256 million in stolen materials, additional millions in replacement infrastructure and in security mitigation for the same period.

Copper cable theft has grown into a pandemic in Zimbabwe, particularly for the electricity, telecommunications, and railway parastatals.

Organisations such as ZESA, TelOne, Econet, Telecel, NetOne, and the National Railways of Zimbabwe tell tales of loss of business due to the effects of copper cable theft that has been spreading uncontrolled.

Households too are affected as they are left to spend days without power and sometimes asked to pull resources together for the purchase of copper cables.

It is suspected most of the stolen cables are being smuggled to South Africa and they are then shipped further to countries that use the metal in the construction and manufacturing industries.

Pindula News