Two Jailed Five Years for Vandalising ESCOM Equipment in Thyolo
Published on April 16, 2026 at 11:30 AM by Edgar Naitha
The Thyolo Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court has convicted and sentenced two men, Yankho Kamwendo and Nizza Mbewe, both aged 22 and from Mpiyama Village under Traditional Authority Nchiramwera in Thyolo, to five years’ imprisonment with hard labour for vandalising electricity installation equipment.
State Prosecutor Inspector Ishmael Abubast told the court that during the night of Tuesday, 17 February and Wednesday, 18 February 2026, Charles Meleka was patrolling a site with an ESCOM transformer at Lipulo Village when he spotted and apprehended the duo as they vandalised 200 metres of 70mm hard-drawn copper conductor cable.
The two pleaded guilty to the charge.
In sentencing, Chief Resident Magistrate Shyreen Yona Chirwa agreed with the State that the offence is serious and undermines development, noting that such cases are rampant in the district.
