Pair nabbed for ‘stealing’ $1 400 copper cables

Courtney Matende, Midlands Reporter
A Gweru woman and a Harare man have been arrested for allegedly stealing copper cables worth over $1 400 from the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC).

Christine Changwana (23) and Fortune Edmore Chisadza (24) appeared yesterday before Gweru magistrate Ms Beauty Dube facing one count each of possession of ZETDC copper cables.

Changwana and Chisadza pleaded not guilty to the charge and were remanded in custody to January 30 for trial.

It is the State case that on January 17, police received information to the effect that Changwana and Chisadza were in possession of stolen ZETDC copper cables which were being kept at Changwana’s house in Clifton Park, Gweru.

The court heard that the police raided Changwana’s house where they discovered four sacks containing the copper cables.

Changwana allegedly failed to produce relevant papers that allowed her to purchase or possess copper which led to her arrest before she implicated Chisadza whom she said was the rightful owner of the cables.

Changwana- the court heard -told the police that Chisadza had allegedly brought the copper cables to her house for safe keeping.

Chisadza was arrested when he turned up at Changwana’s residence to allegedly collect the copper cables.

The copper cables weighed 73.9kgs and were worth $1 478.

Meanwhile in another matter, a pushcart operator from Gweru, Munyaradzi Chimombe (42) has been sentenced to 12 months for stealing deformed steel bars worth about $205 from a man who had hired him to carry them to his workshop.

Chimombe appeared before the same magistrate charged with one count of theft.

He was convicted against his own plea of not guilty and was sentenced to 12 months of which three were suspended on condition he pays $115 restitution to the complainant Mr Passmore Basira.

It was the State case that on December 3 last year, around 5PM Mr Basira hired Chimombe to ferry deformed steel bars from Steel Kings hardware where he had bought them to Nodrum garage in town where he works.

Along the way Chimombe stole four steel bars before proceeding to Mr Basira’s workshop where the latter noticed that his steel bars were not tallying up.

A report was made to the police leading to the arrest of Chimombe.

Mr Bernard Nyoni appeared for the State in both matters.