Robert Nyirongo (41) was sentenced to the mandatory 10 years in prison after he was caught red-handed stealing TelOne telecommunications cables in Warren Park. Nyirongo was caught with 92 metres of cable valued at $105 by TelOne workers after he failed to outrun them.
He pleaded guilty to contravening Section 89(4)(b) of the Postal and Telecommunications Act. He was sentenced to the mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison by Harare Magistrate Josephine Sande. State Prosecutor Francisca Makumburi told the Magistrate,
The accused person has been convicted of a very serious offence which calls for a mandatory sentence in the absence of special circumstances. He has not submitted special circumstances which would persuade the court from imposing minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years.
The time of arrest which is 3 am shows that this offence was premeditated. Such offences of people disrupting the normal function of telecommunications and electricity by stealing cables are on the rise.
It has become more of an economic sabotage and there is need for courts to stamp their authority and deter like-minded criminals.
More: Daily News
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