A man believed to be in his late 30s has been found dead beneath an electricity transformer in Cowdray Park, Bulawayo, with police suspecting the incident may be linked to copper cable theft.
The man, whose identity has not yet been established, was discovered on Wednesday morning with burn wounds. Cut copper cables were found hanging from the transformer outside a residential property.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Nomalanga Msebele said police suspected the incident had occurred overnight.
“Police in Bulawayo are investigating a case of sudden death by electrocution in Cowdray Park, Bulawayo, involving an unidentified man believed to be in his late 30s,” she said.
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Inspector Msebele said a 57-year-old woman living at the property had gone to bed at around 22:00 on Tuesday when she heard a loud bang, followed by a power cut.
She discovered the man’s body the following morning when she went outside her yard.
“On October 28, 2026, at around 5AM, the woman went outside her yard and discovered an unidentified man lying lifeless beneath a transformer in front of her property. The transformer had cut copper cables hanging from it,” Msebele said.
Police attended the scene and observed that the man had sustained burn wounds.
His body was taken to United Bulawayo Hospital, where it is awaiting a post-mortem examination to establish the cause of death.
Inspector Msebele urged members of the public to refrain from stealing electricity cables and to report suspicious activity involving electricity infrastructure to the police or the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA).
She also warned against buying stolen copper cables, saying this encouraged criminal activity.
Police have appealed to anyone with a missing relative who matches the description of the deceased to visit United Bulawayo Hospital to assist with identification.
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