Chronicle Editor
Peter Matika and Ashely Phiri
A joint campaign by the police, Zesa and TelOne has been launched in Bulawayo to curb the rampant theft and vandalism of power and communication infrastructure. The campaign kicked off last Thursday with a road show around the city, raising awareness and urging residents to report any suspicious activities.
Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Abednico Ncube, said copper cable thefts are not only a serious inconvenience but also a potential threat to life.
“Imagine being informed by doctors in hospital that your relative, who was on the road to recovery passed away due to a power cut, a power cut caused by copper cable thefts. This is a scourge that we all need to act on as residents and citizens of this country. How are we supposed to achieve Vision 2030 when we are throwing ourselves back to the Stone Age? We should all be working towards bettering our lives,” he said.
Insp Ncube said copper cable thefts carry a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and that there are incentives for those who report such crimes.
“Do not hesitate to report such incidents. We are here to safeguard the interests of the nation. The theft of copper affects critical institutions such as hospitals and general service delivery. How do we attract investors when we do not have electricity? Business depends on electricity and we all must strive to ensure that we continue to develop our city and attract investors by having a crime-free environment,” he said.
According to Inspector Ncube, the Western Areas are the most affected and many copper thieves pose as Zesa employees.
“These criminals are getting innovative. They wear Zesa uniforms and then masquerade as officials attending to faults yet they will be surveying possible points and areas they can strike,” he said.
He assured the public that the country is producing enough power and that load shedding has been reduced in most parts of the country. He also said that the police and the residents of Bulawayo have declared total war on the copper cable thieves who have been disrupting power and communication services in the city.
“The involvement of youths in such serious crimes should be condemned. Police and the community have come up with a new strategy to flush out the criminals,” said Insp Ncube.
The campaign comes after nine suspected copper cable thieves were arrested last year following a dramatic chase in Pumula suburb, which ended with the police opening fire and the suspects abandoning their loot and fleeing on foot. The suspects later tried to fool the police by claiming that the impounded vehicle was theirs and had been rented out to two people but their plan backfired. The police also arrested seven other suspects in a separate case in the same suburb, who revealed the involvement of cross-border transporters in the crime.
“Those people who vandalise ZETDC cables, those who think of doing so and those who are buyers should seriously consider trying other legal business avenues as the long arm of the law is now hovering over their heads. Members of the public are therefore, called upon to join the fight against vandalism by reporting criminals involved in theft of transformer oil and copper cables from National Railways of Zimbabwe, Zesa and TelOne facilities,” said Inspector Ncube.
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