BY NIZBERT MOYO

A BULAWAYO man was this week jailed for 45 years for stealing electricity copper cables.

Prosper Tshuma (26) of Iminyela, Bulawayo, was arrested after police received a tip-off from residents.

He appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mark Dzira on Thursday facing three counts of theft and will spend three-and-a-half decades in jail after being sentenced to 15 years in jail for each count. He will, however, serve an effective 35 years after 10 years were suspended on condition of good behaviour.

The value for the stolen property was $484 and $460 for the first and second counts and nothing was recovered.

In the first count, the court was told that sometime in January, Tshuma connived with his friend only identified as Thabani, who is still at large, and went to Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution ( ZETDC) substation at Queens Sports Ground where he stole 1×4 metres of copper cables and earth wires.

In the second count, during the same month, Tshuma stole 1×5 metres of copper bar and earth wires at Chicken Inn ZETDC substation at 11th Avenue and 4th Street.

He was at it again last month when he stole 10kg copper gasket bars and earth wires at Powerssales ZETDC Substation at the corner of Carthan Road and Birmingham Road.

A report made to the police led to Tshuma’s arrest.

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