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Beitbridge Bureau
A crime consultative committee has been set up to deal with criminals vandalising Zesa equipment along the 80km stretch of the Beitbridge-Masvingo highway.Villagers, commercial farmers and the business community formed the committee that seeks to partner with the police and Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) officials to contain the rampant theft of power and telephone cables around the area.

Businessman Mr Charles Terry Mulowa, who lives in the area, chairs the committee. In an interview on Tuesday, the committee’s vice-chairperson, Mr Joseph Ndou, said they were concerned with the continued theft of power and telephone cables in the area, which he described as wilful economic sabotage.

Mr Ndou said they had since got the green light from the police authorities in the area to work with the law enforcing agents and the Zesa loss control department. The committee, he said, has mobilised resources to engage in joint patrols with the police and the Zesa loss control on a 24-hour basis.

It is understood that Zesa is losing around US$40 million in power copper cables theft annually. Mr Ndou said the move had started paying dividends as they managed to apprehend four criminals believed to be the brains behind the syndicate and recovered copper cables worth around US$15 000.

“As the combined residents, business community and commercial farmers living along the Masvingo Road, we are worried at the rate at which thieves are sabotaging the power and communication lines.

“We have had incidents where some cattle and people were electrocuted around Bubi area after coming into contact with live electricity wires which had been cut by these criminals,” said Mr Ndou.

“You will note that this is not affecting the community around this road but its pure economic sabotage and we will continue working with the police to ensure that these criminals are brought to book.

“We have come up with a strategy to counter the continued vandalism of such infrastructure and also engaging in overnight joint patrols with the police and the Zesa Loss Control details.”

He said theft of power cables was also affecting the resettled farmers along the Bubi River who relied on electricity to pump drinking water for their livestock.

Mr Ndou said since the arrest of the four criminals three weeks ago they have not recorded any new incidents of Zesa equipment vandalism.
He said some businesses which played hosts to tourists on the northern part of the district were also affected and were incurring losses as they resort to generators for lighting and other activities.

They are four safari lodges and a motel along the affected area with each accommodating between 50 and 80 visitors per day.
“You will note that the Lion and Elephant Motel has since been connected to the Rutenga grid after incurring losses due to the unavailability of power. Generally these criminals are operating on the 80 kilometres stretch along the Beitbridge-Masvingo road.

Mr Ndou said they were also appealing to the courts to impose stiffer penalties on criminals that are sabotaging Zesa through vandalism of the power company equipment.