Senate committee calls for tougher protection of power infrastructure amid theft and smuggling
Senate Watch
BULAWAYO — A Senate committee has called for intensified operations against vandalism, electricity theft and cross-border copper smuggling, describing the crimes as a serious threat to national infrastructure and economic development.
The call is contained in the Thematic Committee on Peace and Security’s report on energy security, tabled in the Senate on Tuesday.
The committee said ZESA had responded to vandalism through measures including the relocation of transformers, replacing copper conductors with aluminium, anti-intrusion monitoring units and planned meter audits.
According to the report, ZESA had installed 451 monitored anti-intrusion units linked through 31 LoRaWAN gateways and planned 30,000 meter audits. But it said cross-border syndicates involved in copper smuggling and armed raids continued to pose a threat.
“The Committee noted that vandalism, electricity theft and transnational crime remained persistent threats to supply stability,” the report said.
The committee said theft was also affecting renewable-energy projects. At Turk Mine in Bubi, 72 solar panels were reportedly stolen shortly after the 4.4MW solar plant was commissioned.
Senator Chapfudza told the Senate that the protection of energy infrastructure should be treated as a national-security priority.
“Protecting electricity generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure must be treated as a national security priority,” he said.
“The Committee correctly identified vandalism, electricity theft, and cross-border smuggling of electrical infrastructure as a serious threat to national infrastructure and economic development.”
He called for cooperation between ZESA, the police, border agencies and communities.
The committee recommended that the Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Ministry, the Zimbabwe Republic Police and ZESA strengthen joint operations against vandalism, theft and cross-border copper-smuggling syndicates. It proposed an ongoing programme of action, with a progress review by December 31, 2026.
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