Venus Charumbira
Courts and Crime Reporter
www.zimgbcnews.co.zw
Bulawayo- One suspect has been arrested and two others are on the run after police intercepted a trio allegedly burning stolen copper cables at Killarney Squatter Camp in Bulawayo, in the early hours of 22 September 2025.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police(ZRP) confirms the arrest of Clifford Sibanda (35), who was caught in the act during a 3AM raid. His alleged accomplices, Nqobizitha Mathe and Mlungisi Sibanda (33) managed to flee and are still at large.
According to the police, the operation was triggered by an unusual fire spotted in a bushy area near the squatter camp.
“The suspects were discovered burning armored copper cables, believed to have been vandalized from ZETDC and TelOne infrastructure”, said the Deputy Press and Public Relations Officer, Assistant Inspector Thandekile Ndlovu.
“A further search led to the recovery of 157.5kg of burnt and deformed copper cables, valued at US$3,150 including a 10-metre 4-core cable found hidden under a bed in Mlungisi Sibanda’s shack”.
The case underscores a growing problem of theft and destruction of vital public utilities like copper cables, which disrupts essential services.
Therefore, authorities have urged the public to report cases involved in cable theft or dealing in stolen property and those involved in stealing cables to consider legal business avenues.
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