Africa-Press – Mozambique. The Mozambican authorities have seized at the Save River check point, along the country’s main north-south highway (EN1), 550 kilos of copper stolen from facilities belonging to the publicly-owned electricity company, EDM.
The electricity cables, which had been shredded and burnt, were found inside a passenger bus travelling from the central city of Beira to Maputo.
According to Fenias Ndimande, EDM director in the southern Province of Inhambane, vandalization of the electricity grid and illegal connections are reaching alarming proportions, threatening the electricity supply and causing incalculable losses.
“Losses from destruction of infrastructures and illegal connections jeopardize the company’s ability to provide a quality service. These illegal connections pose a risk of fires and electrical discharges that can be fatal. Many of these clandestine installations are made without any safety criteria, putting people’s lives at risk”, he said, cited in Tuesday’s issue of the independent daily “O País.”
Recently, EDM announced the recovery of about 12 tonnes of copper stolen from its infrastructures and 80 radiators in the southern municipality of Matola. According to the company, in 2024 alone, thefts caused the company losses of around 28 million meticais (438,000 dollars at the current exchange rate). The peak was recorded in 2021 when theft and vandalism caused losses of about 260 million meticais.
For his turn, public prosecutor Pompilio Xavier explained that the seized electrical cables had a pattern already known to the authorities, although they had been torn apart and partially burnt “a technique used to disguise the crime and make it look as if the material had been discarded a long time ago.”
“The aim is to avoid suspicion and make it easier to sell on the parallel market. The investigations point to the existence of an organized scheme to steal and sell electricity cables from the national grid, which may involve anything from petty thieves to criminal networks with branches in several provinces”, Xavier said.
The authorities believe that the cables are sold illegally to recycling companies, which melt them down to reuse the copper and other valuable metals.
For More News And Analysis About Mozambique Follow Africa-Press
