News / Local
17-year-old arrested in 800kg copper theft
11 Sep 2024 at 20:18hrs | Views
Two suspects from Bulawayo, including a 17-year-old teenager, appeared in court yesterday facing charges of stealing 759.5 kg of copper cables valued at US$15,190.
Ishmael Mpala (27) of Emakhandeni suburb and the teenager from Lobengula West were arrested in Nyamandlovu, Umguza District, Matabeleland North Province, on September 2. Initially, they appeared at Tsholotsho Magistrates' Court before being transferred to Bulawayo, where they are set to stand trial on October 11.
The two face charges of contravening Section 60A (3b) of the Electricity Act, Chapter 13:19, which pertains to the unlawful possession or control of materials used in the generation, transmission, or distribution of electricity.
The suspects were caught in the act of stealing copper cables from a pit in Nyamandlovu, following a tip-off from local residents. According to court documents, the pair fled upon seeing the police, abandoning the copper cables and a green trailer at the scene. Although officers were unable to catch them at the time, they recovered a dropped cellphone, which became a key piece of evidence.
The police found various items at the scene, including burnt armoured copper cables, base bars, transformer windings, and the abandoned trailer. The cellphone, an Itel P40 lite with an Econet SIM card, led detectives to further investigate the suspects' whereabouts.
On August 27, police received another tip-off, leading to the arrest of the teenager at a service station in Mpopoma suburb. Upon interrogation, the teenager implicated Mpala, who was subsequently arrested at his home.
The teenager was released into his mother's custody, while Mpala remains in detention.
This case is part of a broader crackdown by ZESA, Zimbabwe's power utility, against vandalism and theft of copper cables. ZESA has been replacing copper cables with aluminium to combat the issue. Last year, ZESA recorded 1,569 cases of vandalism and theft, with 1,127 involving copper. In response, the government amended the Copper Control Amendment Act in 2022, increasing the minimum sentence for illegal possession of copper from two to ten years.
Under the amended law, copper dealers must now have certificates of origin for any copper in their possession. Anyone caught dealing in or possessing copper without proper documentation faces a minimum of ten years in prison, with no option for a fine. This law also targets those involved in the vandalism of essential infrastructure through the theft of copper cables.
Ishmael Mpala (27) of Emakhandeni suburb and the teenager from Lobengula West were arrested in Nyamandlovu, Umguza District, Matabeleland North Province, on September 2. Initially, they appeared at Tsholotsho Magistrates' Court before being transferred to Bulawayo, where they are set to stand trial on October 11.
The two face charges of contravening Section 60A (3b) of the Electricity Act, Chapter 13:19, which pertains to the unlawful possession or control of materials used in the generation, transmission, or distribution of electricity.
The suspects were caught in the act of stealing copper cables from a pit in Nyamandlovu, following a tip-off from local residents. According to court documents, the pair fled upon seeing the police, abandoning the copper cables and a green trailer at the scene. Although officers were unable to catch them at the time, they recovered a dropped cellphone, which became a key piece of evidence.
The police found various items at the scene, including burnt armoured copper cables, base bars, transformer windings, and the abandoned trailer. The cellphone, an Itel P40 lite with an Econet SIM card, led detectives to further investigate the suspects' whereabouts.
On August 27, police received another tip-off, leading to the arrest of the teenager at a service station in Mpopoma suburb. Upon interrogation, the teenager implicated Mpala, who was subsequently arrested at his home.
The teenager was released into his mother's custody, while Mpala remains in detention.
This case is part of a broader crackdown by ZESA, Zimbabwe's power utility, against vandalism and theft of copper cables. ZESA has been replacing copper cables with aluminium to combat the issue. Last year, ZESA recorded 1,569 cases of vandalism and theft, with 1,127 involving copper. In response, the government amended the Copper Control Amendment Act in 2022, increasing the minimum sentence for illegal possession of copper from two to ten years.
Under the amended law, copper dealers must now have certificates of origin for any copper in their possession. Anyone caught dealing in or possessing copper without proper documentation faces a minimum of ten years in prison, with no option for a fine. This law also targets those involved in the vandalism of essential infrastructure through the theft of copper cables.
Source - The Chronicle
