Bulawayo man caught red-handed draining US$$60 oil from a Zesa transformer at Mpilo Hospital, sentenced to 10 years in jail.

A MAN from Bulawayo’s Entumbane suburb who was caught red-handed draining oil from a Zesa transformer at Mpilo Central Hospital, has been sentenced to 10 years in jail.

Ricky Jones was convicted on his own plea to stealing oil worth US$60 by Mr Tinashe Tashaya.

Jones who said he wanted to use the oil to treat gum poles he intended to sell to raise money to fend for his children, was sentenced to 10 effective years in prison.

Mr Tashaya said draining oil from the transformer or vandalising electricity infrastructure attracts a mandatory 10-year jail sentence.

Prosecuting Mr Leonard Chile said on December 4, at around 3PM, an anonymous person saw Jones draining the oil and alerted the security guards.

Mr Chile told the court that the three security guards proceeded to the place but Jones had already left.

“The trio followed him and when he realised that the security guards were following him, he dropped a carrier bag which contained tins that had the oil and ran away,” he said.

Mr Chile said the security guards gave chase and managed to apprehend Jones before handing him over to police officers at the hospital’s police post.

The total value of the oil stolen is $60 and all was recovered.

Power utility Zesa Holdings reported that it lost about $30 million worth of equipment due to vandalism and theft in the 18 months between January 2015 and June 2016.

The vandalism resulted in interruption of power supply in the country, which is already grappling with power shortages.

Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company managing director Engineer Julian Chinembiri said about $15 million worth of equipment was vandalised. An equivalent value in potential revenue was also lost as a result.

Eng Chinembiri said a total of $10 million in potential revenue was lost last year and in the half-year to June half of that amount is believed to have been lost due to the interruptions caused by vandalism and theft.

Unscheduled power cuts, due to theft and vandalism are reportedly costing the country millions of dollars more in lost production time. Cynthia Mthembo,source-chronicle