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Cabinet has approved the Electricity Amendment Bill that advocates for stiffer penalties without an option of paying fine to perpetrators of electricity infrastructure vandalism.
Speaking at yesterday’s Cabinet briefing, Minister of Information and Publicity Senator Monica Mutsvangwa said the Bill introduces stiffer penalties for theft and vandalism of electricity infrastructure and illegal connections.
“The Bill will also remove the option of a fine where one is convicted of the crime. Furthermore, the Bill introduces stiffer penalties for the transportation of material used in connection with generation, transmission, distribution and supply of electricity without the option of a fine.”
Mutsvangwa added that government also approved a US$750 million public-private partnership between ZETDC and Dinson Iron and Steel Chinese mining company that will be receiving uninterrupted power supply.
“The Minister of Finance and Economic Development Professor Mthuli Ncube presented the proposed partnership between Dinson and ZETDC for the construction of a 330kV, 100km electricity line from Kwekwe to Manhize (Chinese company’s plant), that is in Chivhu and this was approved by Cabinet,” Mutsvangwa said.
“To finance this connection, ZETDC will enter into a public-private partnership agreement whereby Dinson will pre-finance both phases of the construction project as a loan to the power utility,” she said.
However, the ministry of Energy and Power Development has been proposing a 30-year jail term for those convicted of vandalizing Zesa infrastructure since Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), is losing about US$5 million annually to vandalism and theft of copper cables.
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