By Bahle Gama
Three men will spend Christmas at home in the event they can pay their bail of E12 000 for stealing Eswatini Post and Telecommunications Corporation (EPTC) copper cables.
The trio, Senzo Maseko (26), Vusumuzi Zulu (26), and Andile Mabuza (21) of the Ezulwini area reportedly stole EPTC copper cables at Mnyamatsini on December 16.
They appeared before Magistrate Temantimandze Shongwe at Lobamba on Wednesday, where they each opted to represent themselves after their legal rights were explained. They each moved a bail application after the crown applied that they should be remanded back to custody pending their trial date.
Their application was not opposed, and they were each granted bail at E4 000 and are set to return to court on December 29. EPTC is one of the companies in the country that has suffered losses through copper cable theft.
On December 15, a 24-year-old man was arrested for the theft of EPTC copper cables valued at E133 356 at Malindza. He appeared before the High Court before Judge Maxine Langwenya where he was granted bail of E50 000, with E3 000 expected to be paid in cash.
On October 4, police officers at Joyela in the Lubombo region arrested four men who were alleged to have stolen 500 meters of the same valued at E126 690 on August 22. On the day of their arrest, they were reported to have stolen 800 meters of cables valued at E197 904 at Nisela.
In another matter, two others were reported to have stolen 150 meters of copper cables worth E70 828 at Nhlambeni.
Two weeks ago, The Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC) also reported that it had spent over E130 000 in replacing cables that had been stolen at Nkwalini zone 2, leaving residents in the dark until it was replaced.
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