THREE Bulawayo teenagers appeared at the Bulawayo Magistrates Court last week charged with theft of electricity copper cables.
Edmore Makusha and Henry Nyoni (both 19) and their 16-year-old accomplice denied the charge when they appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Nomagugu Maphosa on Friday.
Maphosa remanded them to November 15 on US$50 bail each.
The prosecution alleged that on October 29 at 8pm, the trio in the company of Edwin Makusha, who is still at large, went to number 144 Brint Burn Northylene, where they dug and cut six metres of the electricity copper cables.
The court was told that the quartet was seen by Julius Kalulu, a security guard at the premise and he managed to identify them as they reside in the same area.
Kalulu reported the matter to the police, leading to their arrest.
On October 31, Zesa Holdings engineer Murambasvina Mrimirwa positively identified the recovered copper cables as Zesa Holdings property. The copper cables weighed 10,5kg with an estimated value of US$210.
According to Zesa Holdings, between January and June this year, the company recorded 777 cases of vandalism and theft of its infrastructure valued at US$1 million.
The power utility also disclosed that it loses an estimated US$20 million annually due to vandalism and power cable thefts.