Copper cables thief jailed 10 years

By Tarisai Machakaire

A Chitungwiza man will spend the next 10 years behind bars after being caught stealing $260 worth of copper cables.

Kelvin Changana, 24, of Unit L Seke Chitungwiza was convicted of contravening section 89(4) of the Postal and Telecommunications Act which prohibits wilful damage, interference of theft of Telecommunication lines and apparatus.

Changana failed to proffer any special circumstances and was jailed the mandatory 10 years by magistrate Josephine Sande.

“Offences of this nature are on the rise and put the public at risk of exposed copper cables.

“A lesson ought to be sent that our courts do not condone such conduct,” Prosecutor Fransisca Mukumbiri said.

Mukumbiri proved that on March 7 around 8am, Changana was burning a bundle of telecommunication cables in a bush at corner Cork Road and Leopold Takawira Street in Harare.

Changana was spotted by a passer-by who alerted police officers from Milton Park that he was burning the cables.

The police officers reacted to the information and intercepted Changana as he tried to run away from the scene.

He was captured and put under arrest before the burnt copper was recovered by the police.

Robert Rangarirai Paraffin of TelOne was called to identify the loot and confirmed that they were telecommunication cables. The stolen property weighed 13kg and is valued at $260. Daily News