…foot prints give them away
By Meditation Mposi
Two 18-year-old men from Chiredzi and Bikita will spent next 10 years behind bars after being convicted of stealing copper cables at Chikwirira Shopping Centre near Manjirenji area in Chiredzi.
In a statement, Masvingo Zimbabwe Republic Police applauded members of the public for supplying information which led to the arrest of the two.
“We applaud members of the public for working hand-in-hand with the police in supplying information which has led to the arrest of criminals and recovery of various properties. Community policing is very essential and has seen many communities fighting crime in conjunction with law enforcement agents,” reads the statement.
Circumstances are that on November 7 during the night Martin Kwambura(18), Eventhough Munangi(18) and Misheck Chihanga who is still on the run stole armored cables from a ZETDC Transformer at Chikwirira Shopping Centre.
Chikwirira Shopping Centre has a 100KV Transformer which supplies power to the shopping centre, Chikwirira Primary School and clinic, together with some households around the shopping centre.
The trio took advantage of the current loadshedding and approached the 100KV Electrical Transformer, used a bolt cutter to cut and stole 100metres X 35square millimeter armored cable connecting the transformer and a localized electricity distributing line and went away.
Police and ZETDC Chiredzi Loss Control Officials with the assistance of members of the public, followed a spoor of foot prints which led to Kwambura’s place.
Kwambura was interviewed and implicated Munangi and Chihanga as his accomplices. He led them to Munangi’s house leading to his arrest but they failed to locate Chihanga.
Searches were made in Chihanga’s house and a burnt 100metres x 35square millimetre armored cable was recovered. Total value of the stolen cables is US$2 000 and cables worth US$633 and were recovered.
Kwambura and Munangi appeared before Chiredzi Regional Court on November 9 and were sentenced on November 11 to 10 year’s imprisonment each effectively.
A similar case was reported recently where Aaron Mutambi, Moses Mutambi, Munyaradzi Mutambi, Azira Temba, Tazira Timothy and Tarisai Dzitiro were arrested after stealing armoured cables on September 2 at Pamuchena Irrigation Scheme in Zaka.
They stole 200metres armored cables and they were apprehended by villagers who later handed them over to the police.
