Man sentenced to 10 years for cable theft

A 32-year-old man from Domboramwari, Harare, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after being caught stealing optic fibre from Wi-Fi cables.
The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe, in a statement on X, stated that Arnold Chiito was arrested for contravening the Zimbabwe Postal and Telecommunications Act, which specifies the offense of damaging or stealing telecommunications equipment, including cables.

“On the 6th of August 2024, at around 2200 hours, a telecommunication company was informed by a customer that internet connectivity was disrupted. Upon investigating the source of the fault, the complainant discovered the accused person and his accomplices, who are still at large, removing optic fibre at Mupfure Bridge along the Harare-Masvingo highway. The complainant reported the incident to the police, who responded promptly and apprehended the accused person. The police recovered optic fibre link and 13x6m of 6-inch G-1 galvanised pipes valued at USD 11,215 piled at the crime scene. The accused person was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment,” stated the NPAZ.