Let’s stop all forms of vandalism
Written by Millennium on July 30, 2019
VANDALISM is often driven by malicious greed, poverty or by the desire for avenge on a particular person or institution.
It is also motivated by sheer frustration from individuals or by misguided friskiness but which result in costly damage to installations and the economy at large.
Naturally, vandalism to property can affect people’s quality of life because it damages or destroys things that they need or care about apart from making people feel that their lives are less safe than they really are.
There is no doubt, however, that vandalism that results in serious damage to valuable property should be treated as a felony and culprits should be made to spend a good number of years in prison once convicted.
So the recent conviction and jailing of two men who vandalized ZESCO cables valued at K20, 000 to 12 years with hard labour should not only cheer the power utility company by all Zambians who value development in the nation.
ZESCO public relations manager Hazel Zulu says the corporation is elated by the jailing of the two vandals as it would send a resilient message to would-be lawbreakers.
The two convicted men are Wallace Munsaka, 35 and Most Hachinyama, 29 both of Kafue Gorge who thought they could easily become rich through vandalism only to be proved otherwise by the law.
Ms Zulu says the incident happened last year in August in Mazabuka District at the Rockdale 33/11 KV substation on Chikankata Road.
Munsaka and Hachinyama were found in flagrante delicto cutting ZESCO copper cables inside the substation and immediately apprehended by the firm’s police and consequently charged with vandalism before the court of law while sent the duo to prison for 12 solid years
“ZESCO is pleased with this development as it will act as a clear warning and deterrent to would be offenders. As a corporation, we have repeatedly warned perpetrators of this vice that we will not relent and allow unscrupulous people to vandalize our installations but will instead take drastic measures to ensure that the culprits are brought to book,
“We therefore welcome the conviction of the two culprits and are confident that this will serve as a clear warning to those who may want to engage in acts of sabotage and derail the development of the country through vandalism of ZESCO installations, which are very critical to the development of the country,” Ms Zulu says
Ms Zulu has assured the public that the corporation would continue to step up line patrols, investigations, and intelligence gathering and sensitization programs at localities where rampant vandalism of cables and transformers have been recorded.
Ms Zulu says ZESCO will also enhance security controls to critical facilities. That it should do without any further delays.
She rightly points out that despite such happenings, ZESCO remains committed to ensuring that it makes it easy for people to live better lives as it continues to work vigorously to bring these vile acts to a halt.
She has called on the public to join the fight against vandalism and report any such acts to the Zambia Police or ZESCO Police on 0211365195/6, 0211363636, 0978783000 or 322 to ensure that the institution continued to provide sufficient and quality electricity to all its citizens.
We totally agree with Ms Zulu to call on members of public to get involved in this vile which has been happening for many years in our nation.
All Zambians have a duty to stop vandalism. We all have an obligation to end this deliberate or malicious destruction or defacement of public or private property which is hampering Zambia’s economic development efforts.
