Two men were sentenced to 10 years in prison each by the Bindura Magistrates’ Court after being convicted of damaging electrical infrastructure. According to court records, Claudius Sikelo, 27, and Foster Tsvekese Kamhaka, 27, were found guilty of digging up an underground power cable.
The conviction stems from an incident where the two individuals were apprehended while excavating the power line. The specific charge was unlawfully damaging and interfering with apparatus for the generation, transmission, or supply of electricity.
The court found that their actions violated provisions of Zimbabwe’s Electricity Act. The law specifies penalties for the vandalism of energy infrastructure, including a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years for those convicted of the offense. The legislation was enacted to address the financial and operational impact of such activities on the national power grid.
ZESA Holdings, the state-owned power utility, has previously issued statements regarding the consequences of infrastructure damage. The utility has reported that theft of copper cables and vandalism of transformers lead to significant financial losses from replacement costs and frequent power disruptions for residential and commercial customers. Official reports from the utility have cited these acts as a primary contributor to unscheduled power outages in various parts of the country.
In the case against Sikelo and Kamhaka, the prosecution presented evidence that the men were caught in the act of damaging the underground cable. Sikelo, a resident of Section 7, Trojan Mine, and Kamhaka, from the Chiwaridzo 2 suburb of Bindura, were tried and convicted based on this evidence. Both men will serve their sentences as mandated by the statute. The court did not provide details regarding the intended use of the excavated materials.
