Two security guards and three other assailants were recently arrested in Bulawayo’s Sizinda suburb after they were found with allegedly stolen copper cables worth more than US$1000.
A court heard the two are employees at Sterlex Civil engineering company.
According to the allegations, the pair connived with four assailants (one still on the run) and dug out 65.5 meters of underground copper cables worth ZWL$1310.
The copper, which belonged to the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) and was dug out near Emhlangeni suburb opposite Holy dog mine.
The security guards, Jefter Jawi (62) and Rodney Kaome (35) together with their counterparts Paul Zvironzo (25), Nelson Ngwenya (35), Tiyeho Dube (25) appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Shepherd Mjanja.
They all pleaded not guilty to a theft charge and were on December 24 granted ZWL$5000 each.
Magistrate Mjanja remanded them to January 6, 2021 for trial.
Prosecuting, Terence Chakabuda narrated to the court that on November 22, members of the CID MFFU received information to the effect that the crew had stolen cables which they were keeping at Zironzo’s house in Sizinda.
“The police pounced on them and found Zvironzo, Kaome and Dube with underground copper cables inside the bedroom.
Through investigations, the three implicated Ngwenya and Jawi and another known as Mako Maphosa (who is still at large) to dig and cut the underground copper cables near Emhlangeni suburb opposite Holy dog mine,” Chakabuda said.
“The six managed to dig and cut ZETDC underground single core copper cables used in the transmission, distribution and supply of electricity to hide them in a trench. Zvironzo, Kaome and Dube drove back to the scene in a motor vehicle and collected the copper cables. They were caught with 65.5 meters of copper with an estimated cost of US$1310.00.”
