A 28–YEAR–OLD Harare man will spend the next decade in prison for stealing over 10kg of Tel–One distribution copper cables valued at a paltry $84.
REPORT BY STAFF REPORTER
Tapiwa Matambo was found guilty after he had pleaded guilty to contravening the Postal and Telecommunications Act Chapter 12:05 when he appeared before Harare magistrate Anita Tshuma.
Prosecutor Tungamirai Chakurira told the court that Matambo, who resides in Epworth and is out of employment, committed the offence on July 22 this year.
He said the accused person teamed up with an accomplice, only identified as Kudakwashe in court papers and still at large, and proceeded to the corner of Smuts Road and Northway in Waterfalls where they located a Tel-One cabinet.
The two, Chakurira said, forcibly opened the cabinet and started cutting off the distribution cables inside. As they were busy with the job, the alarm system at Tel-One Head Office was activated. The company then dispatched a reaction team which included a police officer and a company official.
The accused person was caught while he was burning the copper cables. The reaction team ordered him to surrender by raising his hands. Instead of giving himself up, he retaliated and started throwing stones forcing the reaction team to forcibly arrest him.
