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A ZESCO Limited employee from Ndola and five men from Masaiti, Copperbelt Province, have been arrested for allegedly stealing 11 transformers belonging to the power utility company.
Copperbelt Police Commanding Officer, Peacewell Mweemba, confirmed that ZESCO security officers were alerted by community members in Mundawanga, Masaiti, who reported finding transformer shells suspected to belong to ZESCO at Emmanuel Farm.
According to Thursday’s edition of the Zambia Daily Mail, Mweemba said a team of officers was promptly assembled to investigate the tip-off, confirming the presence of the vandalized equipment.
The operation took place between Sunday at 23:00 hours and Monday at 05:00 hours, leading to the arrest of Enock Sandala (32), Mouldsen Kalunga (41), Alfred Kalunga (37), Patson Simugweengwe (35), and Victor Ng’uni (34), all residents of Masaiti.
“The suspects were initially arrested for vandalism and the theft of ZESCO transformers of an unknown number,” Mweemba said. “The transformer shells were found in a ditch on the same farm, and the area has been secured by officers from Kafulafuta Police Station.”
The size, weight, and value of the damaged transformers are still being determined, with the incident believed to have occurred between May and November 2024.
After questioning, the five suspects claimed they had not vandalized the transformers but had been supplied with the equipment by ZESCO employee Davies Mumba (50) of Ndola.
A follow-up led to Mumba’s interception while on duty in Chingola, en route to Solwezi. He was apprehended and transported back to Ndola, where he was charged with theft by a public servant.
Read More: ZESCO reports K5.1 million loss due to infrastructure vandalism
Mweemba said Mumba admitted to supplying the 11 stolen transformers, the value of which is still being assessed.
The five suspects have been charged with malicious damage to property and receiving goods believed to be stolen.
ZESCO Spokesperson, Matongo Maumbi, praised the community for their proactive role in reporting the crime.
“We commend the community in Masaiti for responding to our call. We are also offering rewards for tip-offs leading to arrests,” Maumbi said. “Additionally, we have increased security measures to prevent such incidents in the future.”
Maumbi emphasized the severity of the crime, noting that the five men were initially charged with vandalism, but further investigations revealed they were dismantling the stolen transformers, which also constitutes a serious offense.
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