Mutare Correspondent
Mutare – Residents of Mutare are grappling with dual crises after a critical ZESA transformer was stolen and a major water transmission line burst, plunging parts of the city into darkness and threatening water supplies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A 200 KVA transformer valued at US$10,000, owned by the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), was stolen from the Dangamvura S200 substation on May 21.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The theft, discovered around 9 a.m., caused widespread power outages and disrupted essential services, heightening risks for residents and utility workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Manicaland police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka confirmed the incident, stating that ZETDC loss control officer Faustina Chikuse (52) was alerted after a fault report from Dangamvura filling station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe ZESA team found the transformer missing upon inspection. Suspects used an unknown tool to dismantle the mounts, and the crime was only detected after the outage,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Authorities have yet to make arrests or recover the equipment. Assistant Inspector Chinyoka urged the public to assist:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe appeal to anyone with information to come forward to ensure the perpetrators face justice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a separate blow, Mutare faces imminent water shortages after a vandalized 700mm clear water transmission line burst, severely reducing supply to the Christma Pass balancing tanks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Mutare City Council announced repairs would begin on May 23, 2024, with water bowsers deployed to affected areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cResidents are advised to use water sparingly during this period,\u201d the council stated, emphasizing the strain on resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The vandalism compounds challenges for a city already reeling from electricity disruptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The twin incidents have sparked concerns over infrastructure security and public welfare. ZETDC and city officials warn that such crimes endanger lives and destabilize economic activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As repair teams mobilize, residents brace for days of hardship, calling for heightened vigilance and swift action to safeguard utilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Updates to follow as developments emerge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zim GBC News\u00a9\ufe0f2025<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Mutare CorrespondentMutare – Residents of Mutare are grappling with dual crises after a critical ZESA transformer was stolen and a major water transmission line burst, plunging parts of the city… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7029","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-local-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7029","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7029"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7029\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7030,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7029\/revisions\/7030"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7029"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7029"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zimgbcnews.co.zw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7029"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}