Police have arrested three men after a ZESA transformer was vandalised and an armoured cable was stolen at Matias Business Centre in Buhera, with investigators saying a fourth suspected accomplice remains on the run.
The three men — Isaac Lloyd, 31, Blessing Mudyanadzo, 21, and Tanaka Choruwa, 23 — were arrested on 24 September after fleeing the scene and boarding a bus bound for Harare. Their arrest followed a rapid response after members of the community discovered the incident and the suspects abandoned a Toyota Toyoace believed to have been used in the escape.
The vehicle, registration number ADG 6700, was left behind as the men ran from the scene. Police said the group later boarded a bus, but officers caught up with them near Murambinda Business Centre before they could reach Harare.
“Swift police reaction led to their arrest while aboard a bus to Harare near Murambinda Business Centre,” said Commissioner Nyathi.
Police named Peter Chuma, 21, of Wakarambwa Village in Nyashanu, Buhera, as the alleged accomplice still at large. Investigators appealed to anyone with information about his whereabouts to report it at the nearest police station.
The arrests have drawn renewed attention to the continuing theft and destruction of Zimbabwe’s electricity infrastructure. Transformers, copper windings, overhead conductors, underground cables and armoured cables remain targets for people seeking valuable metals and electrical components. The damage often leaves communities, schools, businesses and health facilities without power while repairs are arranged.
The scale of the problem was set out in Parliament in March 2025 when Energy and Power Development Minister July Moyo said 6,000 transformers had been stolen countrywide. Moyo said the country did not have enough local manufacturing capacity to replace the equipment quickly.
“The main problem we are facing is vandalism of infrastructure and as we speak, 6 000 transformers were stolen countrywide. We have no capacity locally to produce enough to replace them timeously,” he said.
The shortage has placed additional pressure on the national electricity supply. Damaged transformers cannot simply be restored by switching equipment back on. They must be repaired or replaced, and the work can involve sourcing specialised components, transporting heavy equipment and rebuilding connections before electricity can return.
The minister’s statement also came as concerns were raised about schools and health institutions that had spent long periods without electricity because damaged or vandalised equipment had not been replaced. In some areas, the loss of one transformer has affected an entire neighbourhood or a group of public facilities.
Zimbabwe’s power utility has previously reported substantial losses in its southern region. Between January and November 2021, more than 30 transformers valued at US$230,980 were lost in the region. During the same period, about 2,206 kilogrammes of overhead copper conductors, valued at US$44,130, and 1,180 metres of underground copper cable, valued at US$9,246, were also lost.
The detailed value of those losses was put at US$284,356. The equipment was not only being removed as complete units. Transformer oil and coils were also being targeted, leaving equipment unusable even when the outer structure remained in place.
“At the moment vandalism and theft of Zesa equipment is on the increase. The vandals are targeting transformer oil and coils. Power supply is greatly compromised by increasing cases of theft and vandalism of electricity infrastructure that has resulted in unplanned electricity outages. The theft and vandalism of electrical infrastructure has resulted in increased faults, resulting in frequent and long power outages that some clients perceive as load shedding,” said Gibson Kasipo, the utility’s acting southern region general manager.
Kasipo said the losses were diverting money that could have been used for new electricity projects into the replacement of damaged equipment.
“We have lost over 30 transformers valued at US$230 980 in the period under review. During the same period, we also lost about 2 206kgs of overhead copper conductors valued at US$44 130 and 1 180m of underground copper cables valued at US$9 246. In total we have lost US$284 356 from vandalism of Zesa infrastructure,” he said.
Another police operation in January 2025 showed the range of tools and materials involved in transformer vandalism. Five people were arrested after a 100 kilowatt ZETDC transformer was vandalised at Mazezuru Secondary School in Mudzi, Mutoko.
The suspects were identified as Phillip Chitawa, 43, Steven Nyakabau, 31, Patson Gurupira, 28, Clayton Nyakatonje, 24, and Marry Ngono, 33. Police said the arrests led to the recovery of 60 kilogrammes of copper windings, two bolt cutters, a shifting spanner, two kitchen knives and a Toyota Chaser, registration number ADD 1539.
The same group was also linked by police to the reported vandalism of a ZETDC transformer at Chingwena Secondary School in Nyamapanda in December 2024. The case highlighted how transformer attacks can affect schools directly, disrupting lighting, communications, water systems and other basic services that depend on electricity.
Police and the electricity utility have repeatedly urged communities to report suspicious activity around substations, poles and transformers. Criminal groups often operate at night or use vehicles to move equipment and metal parts. In the Buhera case, community members’ discovery of the activity helped trigger the chase that ended with the arrest of the three men on the Harare-bound bus.
“The power utility is appealing for community participation in the protection of electricity infrastructure in the interest of efficient service delivery. In the same vein, ZETDC is inviting whistle blowers to volunteer information that would lead to the arrest of perpetrators of theft and vandalism and a reward would be given in proven cases,” Kasipo said.
The investigation into the Buhera incident is continuing as officers search for Chuma and establish the full sequence of events at Matias Business Centre. Police have not released details of a formal charge list or said what equipment, if any, was recovered from the abandoned vehicle.
The arrests have nevertheless placed the focus back on a problem that has grown far beyond isolated damage to electrical equipment. Each transformer taken out of service adds to the replacement burden faced by ZESA, while every damaged cable or coil increases the risk of outages for customers already dealing with an unreliable supply. The hunt for the remaining suspect continues, as police and utility officials press communities to help protect the infrastructure on which homes, businesses and public services depend.