Cabinet approves Copper Control amendment Bill, stiffer penalty for copper thieves

Cabinet has considered and approved the Copper Control Amendment Bill which seeks to provide for the offence of vandalism of utilities through theft of copper.

Minister of Information, Monica Mutsvangwa who was speaking during post cabinet briefing said the Bill makes it illegal for any person to possess copper without a certificate of origin for it.

She said under this law, police will require anyone found in possession of copper to provide names and addresses of both seller and purchaser.

Convicted copper thieves will be liable to minimum 30 years imprisonment, while any vehicle or device used to illegally transport copper will be forfeited to the State.

Meanwhile, driving schools, Traffic Safety Council and the Vehicle Inspection Department have been given greenlight to resume operations under strict adherence to Covid-19 regulations.

-zwnews