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George Maponga in Masvingo
Two Masvingo teenagers have each been slapped with a 10-year jail sentence for stealing copper cables.
Chiredzi regional magistrate Ms Judith Zuyu jailed Martin Kwambura (18) of Zinyanduko Village, Bikita, and Eventhough Munangi (18) of Dera Village, Chiredzi, after convicting them of violating the Electricity Act.
Ms Zuyu jailed the pair after they admitted to stealing the copper cables.
The court heard that on November 7 this year, the two teenagers and their accomplice – one Misherk
Chihanga of Zaka who is still at large – hatched a plan to steal copper cables.
The trio targeted the ZESA cables the supply power to Chikwira Shopping Centre, Chikwira Clinic and Chikwira Primary School.
They took advantage of a power outage that had lasted several days.
The trio struck at night and stole 100 × 35 square millimetre cables. They went away unnoticed.
However, their luck ran out after the police, ZESA loss control officers and some villagers followed a trail from the crime scene leading to Kwambura’s homestead.
Upon being interrogated Kwambura implicated his two accomplices. A search at Chihanga’s house led to the recovery of copper cables worth close to US$700.
The recovered cables were used in court as an exhibit.
Online Reporter