Vandal of Zesco property jailed 10 years
By Ludia Ngwadzai
THE Kabwe High Court has sentenced a man to 10 years imprisonment with hard labour for vandalising electricity infrastructure.
In a statement seen by The Mast, Webster Chongo was convicted on two counts of vandalism and sentenced concurrently from the date of arrest on March 14, 2025.
Zesco senior manager for special duties and investigations Ben Mwanamakwa said the conviction sent a strong warning to would-be offenders.
“This means that Chongo will serve an effective 10-year jail term,” Mwanamakwa said.
The sentence was handed down on May 7 by Justice Mwamba Chanda-Mate.
Mwanamakwa welcomed the sentence and described it as a major boost to the fight against attacks on critical electricity infrastructure.
“This conviction is significant because it demonstrates that vandalism is not a victimless crime. Every act of vandalism disrupts power supply, endangers lives, affects businesses and diverts resources that should be used to improve service delivery,” he said.
Mwanamakwa said the sentence sends a clear message that those who damage or steal electricity infrastructure would face the full force of the law.
The utility said the conviction was a strong reminder that vandalism of transformers, power lines, substations and other installations had far-reaching consequences for households, businesses, health facilities, schools and national productivity.
Mwanamakwa said the law enforcement agencies had done a great job in prosecuting and achieving a conviction over state property.
He urged communities to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities around electricity installations.
“We welcome this judgment as a deterrent to would-be offenders and as an important step in protecting national electricity infrastructure,” he said.
Mwanamakwa said community vigilance remained critical in preventing vandalism, reducing outages, and protecting assets that support Zambia’s economic and social development.
