BY SHARON SIBINDI
BULAWAYO-BASED rights group, Habakkuk Trust has launched a documentary titled Cable Thefts: Where Are we Missing to raise awareness on the dark side of copper cable thefts and power cuts.
In a statement the trust said the documentary which is in two parts highlights lived experiences of Bulawayo residents, responses from the power utility and police.
“Bulawayo has been experiencing an increase in thefts of copper cables, a crime that has continuously plunged the city into darkness. Suburbs located at the periphery of the city have been affected the most, with reports of the copper cables thefts being made almost daily,” said the trust.
“Initially, the thieves reportedly targeted underground cables on the outskirts of the city but have since moved to residential suburbs targeting overhead cables.”
The trust said the documentary had received positive responses generating new views.
“We have been doing advocacy around the issue of copper cable thefts and power cuts in the city and this inspired the documentary as residents continually raised concerns about the thefts,” said the trust.
“We also noticed that in most instances, residents have been forced to fork out funds to buy aluminum cables and conductors to replace the stolen copper cables as the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company has indicated that it’s under-resourced.”
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
The trust recently embarked on documentary screening sessions in remote areas that have limited access to mobile networks to bridge the digital gap between urban and rural communities.
- Follow Sharon on Twitter@SibindiSharon
