Man arrested for allegedly stealing copper cables worth US$1,500 from NRZ property
A 43-year-old man from Emakhandeni high-density suburb in Bulawayo has been brought before the courts on charges of stealing copper cables valued at US$1,500 from a National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) property in the city.
Nhamo Riyacha appeared before Bulawayo Magistrate Maxwell Ncube on Tuesday, where he was granted US$100 bail and remanded to February 7. He did not enter a plea for the theft charge.
According to the State’s case, on January 21 of this year, Riyacha and his accomplice, identified only as Mutonga (who is currently at large), devised a plan to steal from the NRZ premises.
The duo allegedly targeted the Diesel Shed electrical workshop at Railton NRZ in Bulawayo. Riyacha entered the workshop through a broken window, while Mutonga remained outside to receive the stolen cables.
Riyacha purportedly managed to load five train generator main field copper coils into a 50-kilogram sack. However, an NRZ security guard on duty spotted him during the act. The security guard promptly apprehended Riyacha and recovered the stolen property.
Mutonga, who was outside the workshop at the time, managed to escape from the premises.
Fortunately, the stolen cables were successfully retrieved.
