The Sunday News
Charity Chikara, Sunday News Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Republic Police recovered 1 000 kilogrammes of stolen copper cables from a suspect, Linos Sithole, who abandoned his vehicle after an intense police chase in Magwegwe, Bulawayo on Tuesday.
Speaking at a press conference, Bulawayo acting police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele said police were on the hunt for Sithole, after they received a tip off from the public.
Sithole is said to have been hiring people to cut off copper cables for him which he later sold in South Africa.
“Bulawayo Criminal Investigations Department received a tip off from members of the public that there is one Linos Sithole well known as Boss Boss who is involved in cutting, buying, smuggling and transporting copper cables to South Africa. The CID managed to do a follow up and located the said vehicle and a high speed chase was done that led to the accused dumping the vehicle. 1000kg estimated copper cables with a strict value of R200 000 were found stashed in the engine, glove compartments, spare wheel and under the chassis,” she said.
She further urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report any cases of theft.
“We would love, as the police to appreciate members of the public for bringing in such valuable information. We also urge the public to report anyone seen carrying or cutting copper cables. These are public utilities and Bulawayo as a whole is affected by theft of these copper cables,” she said.
The recovery of the stolen cables follows a similar arrest that led to the repossession of 1692kgs of copper cables worth US$20 000 from another vehicle headed to South Africa in Beitbridge last week.
In an interview, Zimbabwe Electricity Distribution Company, Acting General Manager Engineer Lloyd Jaji said there was a need for the jail term of copper cable thieves to be increased to a mandatory 30 years.
“We have lobbied for an increase in the sentence so that it is increased to 30 years, so that it becomes deterrent. That is taking a bit of time to be effected, if the sentence had been increased to 30 years, I am sure the cases would be slowly decreasing. Right now replacements of such equipment takes a bit longer because we wouldn’t have the replacement conductor. At times we end up asking clients to contribute for the purchase of the conductor and then credit their accounts. In a majority of cases we would be without the conductor,” he said.
