Two Arrested For Stealing ZETDC Copper Cables

Two people, a man and a woman from Harare and Gweru respectively have been arrested for stealing Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) copper cables weighing 73.4kgs and worth $1 438. The two, Fortune Chisadza (24) Christine Changwana (23) appeared before Ms Beauty Dube, the Gweru magistrate on Tuesday and each faced one count of possessing the ZETDC copper cables. The duo pleaded not guilty and thus remains in custody waiting for trial on January 30.

It is believed on January 17, the Gweru police got tipped off that this duo had copper cables stored in Clifton Park at Christine’s house. When the police raided the house, they found four sacks of copper cables which weighed 73.9kgs. Unfortunately, Christine did not manage to produce the required papers and receipts to prove that she had purchased these cables and this led to her lawful arrest.

Christine later admitted that Fortune was the true owner of these copper cables and he had brought them at her house for storage. Fortune was then arrested when he supposedly came to Christine’s house to collect “his” cables.

In another Gweru incident, a 42 year old man has been sentenced to a year in prison for stealing deformed steel bars worth $205, with three months suspended on the condition that he will compensate $115. On December 3 2018, Munyaradzi Chimombe a push-cart operator was hired by Passmore Basira to ferry deformed steel bars from Steel King Hardware to Nodrum Garage in the town centre. Along the way, Chimombe stole four deformed steel bars before delivering the rest to the garage. Basira later noticed that the steel bars he had purchased did not sum up with the one that had been delivered by Chimombe. A report was made to the police henceforth leading to the arrest of Chimombe.