Online Reporter
Arron Nyamayaro
In a landmark ruling, Zororai Musvasviki, 56, from Old Magwegwe, Bulawayo, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for violating Section 10 of The Copper Control Act (Chapter 14:06), for failing to give satisfactory account of possession of copper.
Detective Inspector Rachel Muteweri, spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Criminal Investigations Department (CID), said police continue to warn the public against illegal dealings in copper.
She stated that, regardless of the quantity, such offenses carry a mandatory 10-year jail sentence.
Zororai’s conviction stemmed from his arrest on October 25, 2025, when CID detectives intercepted him in the Belmont industrial area while he was carrying a suspicious sack.
Upon searching the sack, approximately 17 kilograms of copper were recovered, and Zororai failed to provide a permit authorizing his possession of the metal, leading to his arrest.
He subsequently appeared before Magistrate Mark Dzira at the Tredgold Regional Court, where, on January 16, 2026, he was convicted and sentenced to a decade in prison.
In a related case, Brighton Sibanda, 23, and Dingani Tshabalala, 22, both without fixed addresses, were also convicted and sentenced to 10 years each by the Kwekwe Regional Court for “Unlawfully or intentionally possessing copper without a certificate of origin.”
The duo was charged under the Copper Control (Amended) Act (Chapter 14:06) following their arrest on December 27, 2025. Detectives from CID MFFU Kwekwe intercepted them while they were carrying suspicious luggage at the Kwekwe industrial site.
A resulting search revealed approximately 7 kilograms of copper cables and pipes concealed in their satchels.
Like Zororai, they were unable to produce a permit authorizing their possession of copper.
The two were taken to Kwekwe Regional Court, where they were convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison by Regional Magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa, with Nyasha Hloka representing the State.
Mathew Masinge