A Budiriro man has been sentenced to an effective 10 years in prison after being convicted of vandalising ZESA infrastructure and stealing property from a Harare lodge in two separate incidents.
Shingirira Kwenda received concurrent prison terms after the court heard how he and an accomplice, who remains at large, repeatedly targeted Harare Safari Lodge, cutting armoured electricity cables and stealing electrical equipment.
Kwenda was convicted on two counts of contravening the Electricity Act and two counts of theft.
He was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment on each of the Electricity Act charges and four months on each theft charge. The sentences will run concurrently, leaving him with an effective 10-year prison term.
The State was represented by prosecutor Fidel Chiherenge, while the complainant on the Electricity Act charges was represented by ZESA loss control assistant Tofara Chimbambo.
The court heard that on May 20, 2026, at around 8:30pm, Kwenda and his accomplice went to Harare Safari Lodge and uprooted and cut five metres of armoured ZESA cable before fleeing undetected.
The stolen cable was valued at US$75 and was not recovered.
Less than three weeks later, on June 8, 2026, the pair returned to the same premises and cut a 12-metre, 5mm x 4-core armoured ZESA cable using a sharp object.
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This time, Kwenda was caught at the scene while his accomplice escaped.
The recovered cable was valued at US$180.
The court also heard that during the first incident, the pair stole copper pipes, electrical cables, four electric geysers and main electrical breakers from the lodge's main house.
The stolen property was valued at US$8,725, although only some of the items were recovered. The copper pipes remain missing.
On June 8, the duo returned and cut additional copper pipes from the property before being spotted.
Kwenda was arrested at the scene, while his accomplice managed to flee.
The investigation was conducted by detectives from the CID Minerals, Flora and Fauna Unit in Harare, including Detective Sergeant Shield Gonzo, Shepherd Matekenya, Stephen Sheshe, Edmore Godo and Blessed Cheteni.
Kwenda will serve an effective 10-year prison sentence, while investigations into his accomplice continue.
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