Online Reporter
Kimberley Chitambara, [email protected]
POLICE have arrested a 66-year-old Bulawayo man who was found in possession of 32kg of copper cables suspected to be stolen after he failed to give a satisfactory account of their origin.
Nhlanhla Ndebele of Old Luveve, who is self-employed as cross border driver commonly known as ‘Umalayitsha’, appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate, Mr Mark Dzira, facing charges of contravening the Electricity Act after he was allegedly found in possession of 32 kilogrammes of copper cables used in the transmission and supply of electricity. Alternatively, he is charged with failing to give a satisfactory account of possession of copper.
He was granted bail of US$200 on condition that he surrenders his passport. Trial is set to commence on March 27.
Ndebele is being represented by Mr Tinashe Runganga of Tanaka Law Chambers.
According to the State papers, allegations are that on March 10, alert detectives from CID Minerals, Flora and Fauna Unit (MFFU) Bulawayo who were on motorised patrol in Old Luveve approached the accused person near his house where he was seated in a white Toyota Hilux with a South African registration number.
“The detectives introduced themselves to the accused person and requested to conduct a search in his vehicle and he consented, upon inspecting the vehicle the detectives discovered that the vehicle had false compartments underneath both sides of the vehicle load box,” the state papers reads.
Ndebele was then escorted to CID Bulawayo for further searches. During the search the detectives recovered some copper cables, which were cut into small pieces and were stashed in two fabricated false compartments.
He was asked to produce a licence or permit that allows him to possess the copper cables and he failed to do so leading to his arrest.
The recovered copper cables and a Toyota Hilux were seized and the accused’s Zimbabwean passport. Authority documents issued to the accused person permitting him to drive a motor vehicle were also seized.
“An engineer from Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) Bulawayo was summoned to CID where he positively identified the recovered copper cables as those apparatus sorely used for transmission and supply of electricity,” the court heard.
On March 11, the recovered copper cables were taken to Zimpost Bulawayo for weighing where they weighed 32 kilograms and a certificate of weight was issued.
On the same date the recovered copper cables were taken to Zimbabwe School of Mines for assay and an assayer’s report was issued.
The total value of the stolen copper cables is US$640 and all was recovered.
