Innocent Sibonginkosi Ncube
The National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) has reported a significant number of cases of theft and vandalism of its infrastructure, resulting about 100 arrests between January and June this year.
“We are happy that the courts are imposing such highly deterrent sentences on these vandals,” said Andrew Kunambura, NRZ Public Affairs and Stakeholder Relations Manager.
“It has been a big cause for concern over the past years, and we can now begin to hope for a reduction in these cases as more vandals get punished.”
The arrested individuals were convicted of stealing equipment worth US$35,696, with 14 receiving 10-year jail terms and 15 receiving five-year jail terms. Some cases are still pending finalization in the courts of law.
Kunambura emphasized the critical nature of the infrastructure and the severe consequences of vandalism.
“Stealing rail components, for instance, leaves the tracks loose and our trains susceptible to derailments. These derailments can lead to loss of lives for crews, damage to our trains, and loss of customer goods we are carrying.”
He applauded the courts for imposing harsh sentences, saying,
“We are saying this is critical national infrastructure, and nobody should unfairly benefit from it.”
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