ZESCO SUFFERS K4M LOSS IN PROPERTY

By BUUMBA CHIMBULU
ZESCO Limited has in the last three quarters of this year lost over K4 million worth of vandalised and stolen property, says company Public Relations Manager, Hazel Zulu.
Ms Zulu said Zesco recorded 682 vandalism cases which indicated an increase compared to the same period last year, where 497 cases were recorded.
She explained that this indicated an increase of about 38 percent.
In a statement, Ms Zulu said the most vandalised items were transmission tower members and copper cables, both overhead service and underground cables.
Copperbelt division, she said, recorded the highest number of incidences followed by Lusaka and Northern Divisions respectively.
“As a corporation we are extremely dismayed by this development as it is detrimental to the development of the country.
“As you may be aware electrical equipment and investments cost colossal amounts of money and any acts of vandalism take the efforts of the corporation and the country several steps backwards,” Ms Zulu said.
Meanwhile, Ms Zulu said Zesco had in the last three quarters recorded at least 159 arrests and 42 convictions while 48 cases were still in court.
She said Zesco had heightened line patrols, investigations, and intelligence gathering as well as sensitisation programmes in neighbourhoods where rampant vandalism of cables and transformer oil had been recorded.
Ms Zulu said Zesco was also working towards enhancing security controls for access to critical facilities.
“We therefore want to send a stern warning to perpetrators of such vices that ZESCO will not relent in ensuring that the culprits are arrested and successfully convicted,” she said.
Ms Zulu further said: “we remain committed to ensuring that we ‘make it easy for people to live a better life’ as we continue to work vigorously to bring these vile acts to a halt.
“Our call to the public is to join the fight against vandalism and report any such acts to the police to ensure that the institution continues to provide sufficient and quality electricity to all its citizens.”