10 years for stealing ZESA, NRZ equipment

THREE men, including two Mozambican nationals, will spend the next decade behind bars for stealing electricity and National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) infrastructure in the province.

Calisto Mashava (34), of Bairo Mugoriyondo, Machipanda, Mozambique and Moses Machipanda (34), of Bairo Chicueia, Machipanda, Mozambique, recently appeared before Mutare provincial magistrate, Mr Tendai Mahwe and pleaded guilty to the offence, and were each sentenced to an effective 10 years in jail.

Miss Tinotenda Muzondo prosecuted. The court heard that on April 15, at around 4pm, the two skipped the border through an undesignated entry point near Marymount Teachers’ College in Mutare.

They proceeded to Green Valley Farm, Odzi where they stayed at the shops until sunset.

Miss Muzondo said on the same day around 9pm, the two proceeded to Green Valley Farm grapes fields.

Upon arrival, they got to a ZESA power line and disconnected electricity from the power line using a metal object tied with a rope.

They went to the transformer in the fields and cut its electric cables.

The court also heard that on the same evening, an informant who is the foreman noticed that there was a power cut at the farm, but thought it was due to load-shedding.

He decided to go to the grapes fields to check on the progress.

Upon arrival at the fields, he saw the two accused persons at the transformer.

He called for backup from the security personnel at the farm.

They teamed up and approached the two Mozambican nationals.

Upon realising that they had been spotted, the Mozambican duo fled into different directions, but Mashava was apprehended.

Machipanda disappeared into the darkness to an unknown destination.

Mashava was handed over to ZRP Odzi where he was detained.

The next day, Mashava was handed over to CID Minerals Flora and Fauna Mutare for further management.

He was interviewed and detectives took his phone and used it to contact Machipanda.

Machipanda informed Mashava that he had escaped to Mutare and was waiting for him at the Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital Bus Stop.

Mashava led the detectives to the bus stop and Machipanda was subsequently arrested.

A search was carried out on in the satchel that Machipanda was carrying leading to the recovery of a 15-metres long blue rope tied with a metal deformed ring at one end, a hacksaw, two hacksaw blades, a cutter, knife, thread tape and three empty 50kg bags.

The total value stolen is US$1 000 and all was recovered.

The recovered ZESA equipment is to be returned to the institution, while the implements used to commit the offence were forfeited to the State.

On April 17, the Department of Immigration was advised of the arrest of the accused persons.

The accused were issued with warrants for detention issued in terms of Section 10 of the Immigration Act 1979.

The accused persons were also issued with warrants for further detention issued in terms of Section 8 (2) (b) of the Immigration Act 1979.

The Department of Immigration also issued the magistrate with certificates of evidence in terms of Section 40 (1) of the Immigration Act (Chapter 4:02).

Upon completion of serving their sentence, the two accused persons are to be handed over to the Department of Immigration for deportation.

In a separate, yet similar case of theft of public infrastructure, a Rusape man who endangered the lives of railway travellers by stealing track signal poles was recently slapped with a 10-year jail term by a local magistrate.

Farai Moyo was convicted of contravening the Railways Act, and sentenced to an effective 10 years in jail.

He had pleaded not guilty when he appeared before Rusape magistrate, Mrs Barbara Mateko.

Ms Event Dhliwayo prosecuted. She said on August 4, last year, Moyo together with Never Kasasa, a man only known as Baba Rudo and Forward Isaac Marambanyika, connived to steal NRZ signal poles along the railway line that links Headlands and Bardley.

All of Moyo’s accomplices are still at large.

“The four uprooted the signal poles and left them hidden in a bush along the railway line. A patrol officer on duty noticed that the poles had been removed and found them hidden in a nearby bush. He informed his superior who reported the matter to the police,” said Ms Dhliwayo.

The patrol officer and another NRZ employee were joined by police officers and they set up an ambush at the crime scene.

“Two days later, and at around 4am, Moyo and his accomplices arrived at the scene driving a five-tonne truck. Kasasa who was driving, parked the vehicle and switched off the lights. The other three started loading the signal poles into the truck. They were intercepted by the police. They ran away after warning shots were fired into the air. The police officers also shot the vehicle’s tyres and the suspects left it behind,” she said.

After the police recovered the vehicle, they searched it, and found a wallet containing Kasasa’s particulars, and a satchel which contained two hacksaws, hacksaw blades, together with some clothes and shoes.

Moyo was arrested the following day after was identified by the patrol officer during the ambush.

The NRZ was prejudiced of property worth US$2 300 and all was recovered.

In passing sentence, Mrs Mateko said the severity of the gang’s actions could not be understated.