A HARARE magistrate has sentenced a 29-year-old Msasa man to an effective 20 years in prison after convicting him of stealing electricity cables and vandalising substations valued at more than US$60 000.
Noel Mupeiwa initially sentenced John Sande to 30 years for contravening the Electricity Act on three counts. However, he ordered that two of the sentences run concurrently, leaving Sande to serve 20 years.
Prosecutor Cecilia Mashingaidze told the court that on February 8 this year, Sande admitted during police interviews that he had vandalised a substation near Vaka Concrete Company in Msasa, Harare.
Court papers state that he destroyed electrical cables and a transformer valued at US$15 000. Nothing was recovered.
On a separate count on the same date, Sande led police to a substation at Better Bricks in Mount Hampden, Harare, where he and his accomplices stole copper bus bars and windings from a transformer valued at US$15 000.
The transformer was extensively damaged and none of the
stolen copper components were recovered.
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