Zambian Court Hands Down 10‑Year Sentence for ZESCO Infrastructure Vandalism
On May 7, 2026, the High Court in Kabwe presided over by Justice M. Chanda‑Mate sentenced Webster Chongo to ten years’ imprisonment with hard labour for deliberately damaging critical electricity infrastructure owned by ZESCO Limited, Zambia’s national power utility.
The ruling followed a trial that found Chongo guilty of two counts of vandalism under the Zambian Penal Code (Sections 279 and 280), both of which criminalise the willful destruction or tampering with property that provides essential public services. The judge ordered the sentences to run concurrently, meaning Chongo will serve a single ten‑year term, calculated from his date of arrest on March 14, 2025.
Court Findings and Sentencing Details
During the proceedings, prosecutors presented evidence that Chongo had:
- Removed copper conductors from a 33 kV distribution line near Kabwe’s industrial area.
- Damaged a substation transformer, causing a temporary outage that affected over 12,000 households and several small businesses.
- Attempted to sell the stolen metal to scrap dealers, a motive frequently cited in similar vandalism cases across the country.
Justice Chanda‑Mate noted in her judgment that the acts “not only disrupted electricity supply but also posed safety risks to line workers and the general public.” She emphasized that the penalty reflects the gravity of offences that undermine national productivity and essential services such as health care and education.
ZESCO’s Response and Broader Implications
In a press statement issued the same day, ZESCO Limited welcomed the verdict, describing it as “an important boost in the fight against attacks on critical power infrastructure.” Ben Mwanamakwa, Senior Manager of Special Duties and Investigations at ZESCO, elaborated:
“This conviction is significant because it shows that vandalism is not a victimless crime. Any act of vandalism disrupts electricity supply, endangers lives, affects businesses and wastes resources that should be used to improve service delivery. We welcome this verdict as a deterrent to would‑be offenders and an important step towards protecting the national electricity infrastructure.”
ZESCO highlighted that infrastructure sabotage leads to:
- Increased frequency and duration of power outages.
- Higher operational costs due to emergency repairs and replacement of stolen components.
- Adverse effects on hospitals, schools, and small‑scale enterprises that rely on a stable power supply.
- Neighbourhood watch groups to monitor areas around transformers and substations.
- School‑based education campaigns that explain the consequences of vandalism for local development.
- Incentive schemes that reward informants whose tips lead to successful arrests.
Legal Framework and Enforcement Efforts
Zambia’s Penal Code treats vandalism of essential services as a felony, punishable by up to fifteen years’ imprisonment. The judiciary has increasingly applied these provisions in response to a rise in metal theft and infrastructure damage reported over the past five years. According to the Zambia Police Service’s 2025 crime statistics, incidents of electricity infrastructure vandalism rose by 18 % compared with 2024, prompting law‑enforcement agencies to launch targeted patrols around substations and transmission lines.
Mwanamakwa also commended the collaborative efforts of the Zambia Police Service, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, and community members who have reported suspicious activities near power facilities. He urged the public to remain vigilant and to use ZESCO’s toll‑free line (0800 100 200) or the utility’s mobile app to alert authorities to any unusual behaviour.
Community Role in Preventing Vandalism
Protecting Zambia’s power grid requires a whole‑society approach. ZESCO’s community outreach programme encourages:
By fostering a sense of ownership over infrastructure, authorities aim to reduce the economic toll of vandalism—estimated at over ZMW 150 million annually in repair costs and lost productivity.
Conclusion
The ten‑year sentence imposed on Webster Chongo sends a clear message that tampering with Zambia’s electricity network will be met with severe legal consequences. As ZESCO continues to invest in grid resilience and digital monitoring systems, the combination of strict enforcement, public awareness, and community participation will be essential to safeguard the nation’s power supply for households, businesses, and critical services.
