Cable Thief Jailed for 10 Years

Munyaradzi Mashir- Court Correspondent

A 38-year-old man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for stealing an armored electrical cable from ZESA premises in Harare.

Hillary Mutanhaurwa appeared before magistrate Apollonia Marutya at the Harare Magistrates’ Court, charged with contravening the Electricity Act.

The complainant in the case is Rangarirai Mutihero, a loss control assistant at ZETDC Harare.

Prosecutor Faith Mavhudzi told the court that on April 30, 2025, around 2 AM, Mutanhaurwa went to number 138 Kwame Nkrumah Street in Harare. He used a hoe to dig up a ZETDC underground armored cable measuring 2 meters by 16mm, with four cores, and managed to cut it.

Security guards on duty at the premises heard him during the act and quickly apprehended him.

Mutanhaurwa then led the guards to the recovery of the hoe and the cut cable, which were still at the scene. He was subsequently handed over to the police.

The cable, valued at US$1 000, was fully recovered.