Four Men Jailed for 10 Years Each Over NRZ Infrast...

Four Men Jailed for 10 Years Each Over NRZ Infrastructure Vandalism

Witness Runodada ZimNow reporter

Four men have each been handed 10-year prison sentences this week for vandalising National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) infrastructure, as courts continue to impose stiff penalties under the Railways Act in a bid to curb growing cases of rail-related vandalism.

In Mutare, three men, Tinashe Makonese, Collins Ziyadhuma, and Innocent Mhlanga were sentenced to the mandatory jail term by a local magistrate after they were found in possession of electrical cables belonging to the NRZ. The trio was apprehended on April 4, 2025, at the Mutare Repair Siding. The court found them guilty of contravening the Railways Act, which provides for strict penalties against those who tamper with or damage railway property.

Meanwhile, in Gweru, authorities continue to crack down on similar offences. Crispen Wesa, who has no fixed address, was also sentenced to 10 years behind bars after being caught red-handed by NRZ Loss Control personnel while digging up underground signal copper cables near the railway line between Fairmile Hotel and Gweru station. His conviction marks the second within days for cable theft in the same area. Just last week, another man, also without a fixed abode, received an identical 10-year jail term for a similar offence committed at the same location.

The NRZ has expressed its support for the judiciary’s uncompromising stance. In a post shared on its official X (formerly Twitter) account, the organisation commended the courts, stating, “The NRZ commends the judiciary for the stance it is taking of imposing mandatory jail terms on people convicted of vandalising railway infrastructure.”