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Yeukai Karengezeka

Court Correspondent

 A Harare man who allegedly stole 9kg of drop telecommunication line worth US$1 300 and was caught burning the insulation off them appeared in court yesterday.

Linford Peter Macheke(26) appeared before regional magistrate Mrs Marehwanazvo Gofa charged with contravening the Postal and Telecommunications Act by removing telecommunications lines.

He was remanded in custody to June 12 for trial.

The complainant is Tel-One Zimbabwe being represented by its loss control officer Mr Justin Kazhazhe.

The State led by Mr Tawanda Nyandoro alleged that on Saturday at around 4:40am, a team of police officers and TelOne security personnel were on patrol checking TelOne cable lines.

Upon arrival at the corner Churchill Avenue and Sam Nunjoma Street Extension, the patrolling team spotted a fire burning in a close-by bushy area.

They approached the place and Macheke was found in possession of burnt TelOne drop wires which were stashed in a white 20-litre bucket and some other TelOne drop wires which were not burnt and in a sack.

The patrol team instantly arrested him.

The exhibit was taken to the National Railways of Zimbabwe, Harare office for weighing and the burnt drop wires weighed 8 kg and 1 kg of drop wire which was not burnt making a total of 9 kilogrammes.