Cable thief jailed 10 years!

B-Metro Reporter
ROTHMAN Changara (36) thought he could cash in on stolen cables — but now he’s plugged into a 10-year prison sentence!
The unemployed Ruvimbo Phase 2 man from Chinhoyi was caught red-handed, burning stolen ZESA cables in a desperate bid to strip copper for resale.

In the early hours of 8 February 2025 in Cold Stream, Chinhoyi, a homeowner was jolted awake by a loud crash — then plunged into darkness.
Outside, he found his 30-metre ZESA weather deck cable had been cut and stolen. But this was no perfect crime — a distinct shoe print left behind became the thief’s undoing!

In a statement, the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ), said the brave complainant and a neighbour tracked the print all the way to Gadzema Rank, where they found a roaring fire — and Changara, hunched over, burning cables.

Busted and unable to explain himself, he was arrested on the spot. The 5kg of burnt copper matched the missing cable.
The court found him guilty of vandalising critical infrastructure, slapping him with a 10-year jail term to send a loud message:
No mercy for cable thieves.