dyton mupawaenda
Fungai Lupande-Mash Central Bureau
Six men and a woman from Epworth were jailed 10 years each by the Bindura Magistrates Court for stripping a 200KVA electricity transformer at Wengi Farm in Concession, Mashonaland Central.
The damage to the transformer affected power supplies to the farm, and derails the Government’s effort to revamp irrigation infrastructure in light of the need to improve irrigation to defeat the effects of the El-Nino-induced drought that is looming.
The convicts are Tendai Makatsi (35), Delan Pamire (37) Laina Madziwa (32), Edson Mubhawu (38), Solomon Gideon (42), Lameck Magwenzi (34) and Solister Mbariro (36).
They were convicted by Bindura magistrate Mrs Nomagugu Sibanda.
Prosecuting, Mr Garudzo Ziyadhuma said on June 30 this year at around midnight, the gang went to Wengi Farm in Concession.
The seven, who all reside in Epworth, used a Toyota Corolla registration number AEI 8058 to travel to the scene.
Pamire and Madziwa remained in the getaway car, while the other five approached a security guard at the farm, Mukombwe Nyakukwa.
They issued him with death threats before ordering him to come out of the pump house. Nyakukwa complied and the gang handcuffed him and tied his legs with shoelaces.
Mambiro advised Mr Nyakukwa to remain calm while he kept guard as others went to the transformer and took turns to remove bolts and nuts.
They then brought down the transformer and stripped it of core armoured cables, before taking their loot to one of the rooms and burned the insulation off the cables before hiding them near a Zesa substation along the Mvurwi-Mazowe Road.
While loading their loot onto the getaway vehicle, farm manager Mr Ali Duncan arrived at the scene.
The gang fled, but Mr Duncan caught Makatsi, Pamire and Madziwa were also arrested at the scene where they burnt the insulation on the copper cables.
Other members of the gang were arrested in Epworth.
The damage to the transformer was valued at US$8 140 and the components were recovered.
Online Reporter