A 36-year-old man, Themba Ndebele from Bulawayo’s Emganwini suburb, has been arrested for allegedly possessing at least 1.5 tonnes of copper cables valued at US$34 612.
Ndebele is employed as an agent of a Harare-based company, Reczone Pvt Ltd and he alleges he had the cables on behalf of the company.
Bulawayo police spokesperson, Inspector Abednico Ncube, said the recovered cables belonged to the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC).
“The recovered copper cables are owned by Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company. Some are used in electricity distribution, and some are transformer coils and overhead copper distribution cables. Reczone Pvt Ltd employs Ndebele as an agent of the company and he operates in the Bulawayo Kelvin West Industrial area,” Insp Ncube said.
“On a date unknown but in January 2024, Ndebele received assorted copper cables packed in 34 50kg sacks. The copper cables include transformer coils and overhead distribution cables. Ndebele stored the cables in one of the company offices at 1634 Market Road Kelvin North Bulawayo.”
Insp Ncube said on March 13, 2024, detectives received information that the accused person had copper cables suspected to be stolen from ZETDC distribution lines.
“The detectives went to the premises where they introduced themselves and requested to search his premises. They searched the premises and recovered 1380,5 Kilograms of copper cables of which 571 kilograms were ZETDC transformer Coils,” he said.
“ZETDC Company Engineer, TELONE Zimbabwe and National Railways of Zimbabwe representatives were summoned at CID MFFU Station to identify the recovered copper cables. ZETDC engineer identified571 Kilograms of transformer coils and overhead distribution cables. The other stakeholders did not identify their cables from the recovered cables.”
Insp Ncube said Ndebele was interviewed and he stated that he bought the assorted copper cables from different people who brought them for sale for the company. He produced a Licence to deal in copper issued to Reczone. The licence was issued on 19 February 2024 and it expires on 18 February 2025.
“Further investigations revealed that there is also a contravention of section 4(4) of the Copper Control Act Chapter 14;06 that is ‘No person shall transfer a licence to any other person and no person, except the person to whom it is issued, shall make use of such license,” he said.
