Father And Son Up For Transformer Theft
Patience Nhamburo
A father and son have appeared before the Harare Magistrates court facing allegations of Contravening section 60(A)(1)(3) of the Electricity Act.
The court heard that, on Tuesday, 26 October at around 01:20 hours the informant who is employed by Hume Pipe Pre-Cast Concrete Engineers in Dzivarasekwa, Harare was on duty at the Atlanta Quarry Dzivarasekwa Extension in Harare carrying out guard duties when he heard some stones being thrown on the Silo Machine.
He then went outside and carried out perimeter checks. While checking and trying to ascertain where the stones were being thrown from, three unknown accused persons surrounded him and held him by the trousers buckle, threatening to stab him with a knife. One of them pressed the knife against his cheek, ready to harm him if he tried to alert others within the area.
The informant was force-marched to a secluded place by two of the unknown accused persons, away from the premises. Five of the accused persons proceeded to the transformer point.
At that point one of the assailants who was holding the complainant hostage phoned someone whom he referred to as “Madam” advising her that they were on the spot where the transformer was and instructed her to switch off the
electricity so that they could start their work.
Soon after the phone conversation between one of the unknown accused persons and the woman only referred to as “Madam”, there was an electricity power cut and the next thing he heard the transformer falling down. One of the
neighbours named Mr Chirenje swiftly reacted and came driving his vehicle in the company of five other local residents.
Upon seeing the lights from Mr Chirenje’s vehicle the suspects aborted their mission and fled from the scene in different directions. The informant then proceeded to meet the rescue team and narrated his ordeal. The team the surrounded the place and carried out some searches after closing all the escape routes.
The search party came across the first and second accused persons who were walking towards the main road. They approached the two suspects and apprehended them. On searching them they discovered that the first accused person was putting on some black shoes and some red stockings outside the shoes. Upon searching the second accused person the team found a green hack- saw blade inside his jacket which they believe to have been used for cutting the
armoured cables connecting the transformer.
The residents then took the two suspects to Dzivarasekwa police station where a report was made.
The recovered transformer was positively identified by a Zesa official as Zesa property 315 KVA Serial number SL114-004 valued at $782 000-00 RTGS.
Harare Magistrate Dennis Mangosi remanded the duo in custody to tomorrow (Thursday) for their bail application.
