Karoi, Zimbabwe | In a major crackdown on internal corruption within the national power utility, four employees from the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) Karoi depot have been apprehended for the alleged theft of electrical infrastructure materials worth over US$28,000.
The arrests come at a time when the utility is battling rampant vandalism and equipment shortages across the country. The suspects, who held various positions of trust at the Karoi depot, were identified as:
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Christen Mutabvure (Chief Security Officer)
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Emma Kamba (Former Customer Care Clerk)
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Beloved Mudiwa (Stores Clerk)
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Blessing Guramatunhu (Lead Artisan)
Police investigations reveal a calculated scheme involving the diversion of high-value cables between November and December 2025. According to official reports, the materials were dispatched from ZESA central stores in Harare and Chinhoyi but never reached their intended destination in Karoi.
In one instance on November 27, 2025, a drum of 100mm² HDA conductor and 50 metres of 185mm² cable were collected from Harare. Detectives allege that the Chief Security Officer, Christen Mutabvure, took possession of the 185mm² cable in a ZESA vehicle while a hired truck carried the conductor drum.
However, the conductor drum was reportedly offloaded by unidentified individuals at a roadside in Southerton after Mutabvure allegedly ordered the driver to park. The truck eventually arrived in Karoi empty. A nearly identical diversion occurred again on December 5, involving another drum of conductor material.
The Whistleblower and the Paper Trail
The syndicate began to unravel in mid-December 2025. Investigations suggest that Beloved Mudiwa was pressured by the Chief Security Officer to transport 24 metres of conductor from Chinhoyi in a private vehicle.
While the cable was signed for, it vanished before reaching the Karoi warehouse. In a turn of events, Mudiwa reported the anomaly to the ZESA Loss Control Department, claiming he was being coerced into falsifying records to acknowledge receipt of materials that were physically missing.
Case Details at a Glance:
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Police Case Number: RRB 6366625 (Karoi Central Police Station)
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Total Loss: US$28,142.00
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Materials Stolen: 100mm² HDA conductors and 185mm² electrical cables.
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Current Status: All four suspects are in custody as investigations continue to recover the stolen assets.
ZiMetro News will continue to follow this story as the suspects appear in court.
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