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Kitwe Man, 28, Jailed For Connecting Electricity illegally
A 28-YEAR-OLD man of Kitwe’s Chamboli has been sentenced to 18 months imprisonment with hard labour for illegally connecting electricity to his house.
Kitwe magistrate Maxwell Mainsa sent John Muzela to prison after finding him guilty of one count of fraudulent appropriation of power, which is contrary to section 290 of the Penal Code Chapter 87 of the laws of Zambia.
Muzela last week admitted committing the offence.
Passing judgment, Mr Mainsa said Muzela’s behaviour leaves much to be desired as it is a dangerous practice.
He said Zesco has lost out on revenue because of unscrupulous people tampering with its equipment and making illegal connections of power.
Particulars of the case are that between January 2011 and July 2013 in Kitwe, jointly and whilst acting together with other unknown persons, Muzela unlawfully diverted electrical power by illegally by-passing a prepaid meter at house number five 7th street Chamboli in Kitwe.
Other facts before the court are that on June 17, 2013, Morris Kasuba , an electrician with the Zesco inspectorate department was assigned to conduct meter inspections in Chamboli compound.
Mr Kasuba discovered that a prepaid meter had been tampered with.
In mitigation, Muzela told the court that he was the breadwinner of the family and was taking care of his extended family.
But Mr Mainsa said he would not consider the mitigation because Muzela’s offence was an aggravated one and hardships in the family are not a mitigating factor.
Mr Mainsa granted Muzela leave to appeal to the High Court within 14 days.-ZANIS.
Posted by
Muzyeche
August 14, 2013 at 6:50 am
Too bad man.anyway when you finish yo sentence u must refrain from this behaviour.
1 Diva
August 14, 2013 at 8:17 am
This is wat we call trickle down effect! Mwafumwako ma subsides wat do u expect!!! Th ZESCO tariffs r jst too high one may b tempted to do that…too bad fr th breadwinner
zambian
August 14, 2013 at 10:20 am
Crime does not pay regardless of subsidy removal.
MAFUPA YOKOYOKO
August 14, 2013 at 12:37 pm
Crime will take u nowhere… Kubombeshafye n make mo money to b able to pay bills. Lesson to o would b offenders, techakwesha!
one me
August 14, 2013 at 1:02 pm
Shortcuts are dangerous
bodybuilder
August 14, 2013 at 1:32 pm
Sad, but being a breadwinner does not allow you to connect yourself illegally? I hope this example will deter others. ZESCO needs the money badly. The load shedding is serious.
kapuli wa ng'ongo
August 14, 2013 at 3:48 pm
This is one of the thousands of illegal electricity connections in Zambia. In Lusaka some illegally constructed houses on the railway near Lilayi are illegally connected to ekectricity with some having even hooked up dstv dishes
PF FOREVER
August 14, 2013 at 4:55 pm
Hard luck ma friend,hope u have learned your lesson….
icinshikululwa
August 14, 2013 at 9:20 pm
The fear of God is the begining of wisdom. Be born again; you are called and you are loved by God.
Gichola
August 14, 2013 at 11:29 pm
com nd arrest some one at plot no 1226/6a luanshya roan. units (50) avnt finished since 2011
nana
August 15, 2013 at 1:53 pm
so what!!!!!!
mwana rb
August 15, 2013 at 4:23 pm
muzela,u would hv contactd
me so dat i start paying ur prepaid bils
bashi k.
August 15, 2013 at 4:57 pm
@Gichola nipamwesu apo…ma rabish iwe.
shakira wapa zed
August 15, 2013 at 5:36 pm
Give the guy leniency,by a fine or waring or perharps community service,imagine how many mouths will go hungry if he is locked up!Have mercy
John Muzela
August 15, 2013 at 9:43 pm
You f00ls, I haven’t learnt any lesson. Why shouldn’t I steal when the whole cabinet is full of active and practising thieves. I will repeat again when I come out