Businessman cleared of copper theft charges

Gibson Mhaka  

A prominent Gweru businessman Lot Gaka who was facing charges involving the theft of copper from a Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission Distribution Company (ZETDC) transformer is now a free man after his application for removal from further remand was granted by the court.

Gaka was jointly charged with James Dzane and Zebedia Chembere for contravening  Section 60A (3) (b) of the Electricity Act Chapter 13:19 which prohibits “receiving or taking any possession of any material used in connection with generation, transmission, distribution or supply of electricity”.

Gaka pleaded not guilty to the charges before then Bulawayo magistrate Tinashe Tashaya who in his ruling said the State failed to justify its application for further remand and present sufficient evidence to support its case.

In their application for discharge, Gaka’s lawyers argued that the State also failed to present compelling evidence needed to secure conviction against Gaka.

Dzane and Chembere, on the other hand, were found guilty of the charges.

The case against Gaka was that on 10 June 2019, Dzane and Chembere connived to steal a transformer belonging to the power supply utility, and that Gaka knowingly received or took possession of the stolen copper cables from them.

The theft occurred at a ZETDC power line at the 424-kilometer peg along the Harare/Bulawayo Highway, where Dzane and Chembere managed to remove the transformer and placed it on the ground using unknown objects.

It was alleged the two stripped the transformer and stole copper conductors, which they sold to Gaka for US$156.