Two Harare men have been sentenced to a combined 20 years in prison after being caught red-handed vandalising underground copper cables belonging to TelOne, in a case that disrupted telecommunications services in Mabelreign.
Ignatius Magara (24) and Onias Marenga (19) each received 10-year custodial sentences after pleading guilty to contravening the Postal and Telecommunications Act before Harare regional magistrate Fadzai Mthombeni.
The complainant in the matter was TelOne loss control officer Boniface Chitungo, while Kudakwashe Muza represented the State.
The court heard that on March 19, 2026, the two accused conspired to steal underground copper cables along Warburn Road in Mabelreign. Armed with tools including a torch, side cutters, a ratchet, a chisel, a knife and a star screwdriver, they accessed a TelOne manhole and cut a 15-metre section of active 800-pair cable.
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After severing the cables, the pair transported them to nearby fields across Harare Drive, where they intended to strip the protective covering.
Their plan was, however, swiftly thwarted after TelOne’s alarm system detected the tampering, triggering an immediate response from loss control officers.
Upon arrival, officers found the manhole open and cables already cut. Following a trail left behind, Mathias Muzorori intercepted Marenga while he was stripping the cable and arrested him on the spot.
Magara attempted to flee but was chased down and apprehended by Chitungo with the assistance of members of the public. The stolen cables were recovered, and both suspects were subsequently handed over to the police.
During mitigation and sentencing, the prosecution stressed the seriousness of the offence, noting that cable theft causes major service disruptions and financial losses, while undermining critical national infrastructure.
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