Cable theft cuts off Mpilo Hospital from national grid

MPILO Central Hospital in Bulawayo was hit by another case of electricity cable theft, leaving the country's second-largest referral hospital temporarily disconnected from the national grid while Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) workers worked to restore power.

The incident occurred around midnight on Tuesday when suspected criminals cut a cable from the main ZESA line supplying electricity to the hospital, briefly plunging the institution into darkness.

Power was restored after the hospital switched on its diesel-powered generators. No casualties were reported as a result of the power disruption.

Mpilo Hospital chief executive officer Professor Solwayo Ngwenya, however, expressed concern over the danger posed by vandalism of electricity infrastructure, particularly to critically ill patients.

"These heinous acts of vandalism and theft put the lives of patients in theatre as well as babies on specialised breathing machines at risk," said Prof Ngwenya.

He said the hospital had security teams patrolling its premises, but the latest incident occurred outside the institution's perimeter fence.

"The money we use to buy diesel for the generators could be better spent on medicines and other critical requirements for the hospital," he said.

A Zimpapers news crew that visited the area on Wednesday observed that about six metres of cable connecting the hospital to a ZESA power line had been stripped.

The vandalised cable also sparked a veld fire that burnt grass around the affected area.

The latest incident is the third case of electricity infrastructure theft targeting the hospital in less than 18 months, highlighting the growing threat posed by vandalism to critical public infrastructure and healthcare services.