Siphakeme .Mnindwa
Nyore Madzianike, Harare Bureau
THE Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) has lost electricity transmission and distribution equipment valued at over US$2 million to theft and vandalism between January and October this year, a development that has left many communities already struggling with load-shedding in the dark.
According to the power utility, nearly 30 tonnes of copper conductors valued at US$600 000, along with 10 tonnes of aluminum conductors worth US$103 000, were stolen during this period.
Additionally, 1 543 litres of transformer oil valued at US$7 700 were siphoned off by thieves, while 136 transformers — essential components in electricity transmission — were vandalised, costing US$848 558.
Daring vandals also targeted bolts and nuts from high-voltage pylons, causing damages exceeding US$4 300.
In total, Zesa recorded 1 317 cases of theft and vandalism, resulting in losses valued at US$2 163 207.
Efforts to combat these crimes have led to the arrest of 76 individuals, with 24 convictions having been recorded so far.
The convicted offenders were collectively sentenced to 171 years and four months in prison, while others were fined.
However, the increasing prevalence of such incidents continues to disrupt power supply.
Prolonged power outages have created a conducive environment for thieves to target Zesa infrastructure.
Without live electricity in some areas, criminals have found it easier to steal essential components, further compromising the country’s power supply.
Responding to questions from The Sunday Mail, Zesa’s stakeholder relations, communication and welfare department indicated that it had since adopted new policing strategies to combat theft and vandalism.
“Our loss control department has adopted modern policing strategies to mitigate against losses to theft and vandalism through integration of technology into crime prevention strategies like CCTV, anti-intruder detection system that are complemented by target hardening,” said the power utility.
These strategies are being complemented by collaborations with the National Prosecution Authority of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc), the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and the Police Anti-Corruption Unit (PACU).
“Other stakeholder engagements include encouraging community policing initiatives, radio and road shows awareness. Loss control continues to carry out intelligence-led anti-vandalism operations in conjunction with the police.”
Zesa, which used to have security personnel that watched over its equipment, has also been lobbying for legislative changes to curb the theft of critical materials such as copper.
These efforts include a proposed ban on copper dealership and export licences to deter illegal trade.
“The utmost lasting solution to tame vandalism is the lobbying efforts being undertaken to ban copper dealership and copper export licences in favour of a beneficiation economic drive,” Zesa said.
“We successfully lobbied for increased special sentencing jurisdiction for junior magistrates in the Electricity Bill in order to increase clearance rate of cases of vandalism brought before the courts. To enhance SADC (Southern African Development Community) regional policing advantages, loss control recommended the creation of a position of a regional security expert co-ordinator at the SAPP (Southern African Power Pool) Secretariat in order to co-ordinate regional operations, a matter that was well-received and is now under special consideration by SAPP.”
Regional impact
In Harare, 12 transformers worth US$114 200 were vandalised, along with 5 895 kilogrammes of copper conductors valued at US$11 790.
The Northern Region, covering much of areas around Chinhoyi, Kadoma and Bindura, reported losses of US$607 250, including the destruction of 43 transformers worth US$378 000.
In the Eastern Region, covering Manicaland and parts of Masvingo provinces, equipment worth US$190 810 was stolen, including 23 transformers valued at US$99 058.
The Western Region, covering Bulawayo and parts of Matabeleland provinces, suffered losses amounting to US$742 106, while the Southern Region, covering parts of Masvingo, Gweru and Kwekwe, recorded damages totalling US$157 824.
Harare Residents Trust director Mr Precious Shumba attributed the rising cases of theft to extended power outages, which allow criminals to operate undetected.
He called for increased community involvement in protecting electricity infrastructure, suggesting that Zesa should create a framework for resident participation.
“The fact is that people now know that electricity is mostly unavailable, creating a conducive environment for the destruction of electricity infrastructure because live wires are difficult to tamper with, but when there is no electricity, thieves, working with some people from Zesa, are able to vandalise electricity infrastructure with ease,” he said.
Zesa, Mr Shumba said, should engage residents through community sensitisation programmes to ensure collective ownership of the public electricity infrastructure.
“Without that, they will continue to lose important infrastructure through vandalism and theft; maybe with the connivance of people working for Zesa.
“ZETDC (Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company) should create a manual for citizen involvement, how they also compensate people for investing in Zesa infrastructure.”
In some instances, communities are made to pool resources per household in order to facilitate purchase and quick replacement of power infrastructure, especially in cases where electric cables would have been stolen.
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