An unidentified man is battling for life at Mpilo Hospital after he was electrocuted while trying to steal power cables belonging to the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA).
Bulawayo acting chief fire officer Mr Linos Phiri said they were informed by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) at about 8 am about a man who had been electrocuted while attempting to steal Zesa copper cables.
I can confirm that an unidentified man who is likely to be aged around 25 years had been electrocuted. When the ambulance arrived, the man was unconscious and he was taken to Mpilo Hospital where he is under police guard.
More information is yet to be availed about the man.
The Sunday News reports that residents who saw the electrocuted man circulated the images on WhatsApp and also alerted Zesa officials as well as the police.
The publication further says the man’s T-shirt had been burnt, his upper body was also burnt and his head had sustained scars.
There was also a pair of pliers which the man was probably using to cut the cables.
This comes as a Glenview resident who was part of a hand that tried to steal cables in Zvishavane was arrested last week while others are still on the run.
ZESA attributes some of the power cuts to damages to its properties including cables and generators.
More: The Sunday News