Mozambique: Power utility EDM recovers 12 tonnes of stolen copper

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Mozambique: Power utility EDM recovers 12 tonnes of stolen copper

4:33 CAT | 19 Mar 2025

Photo: AIM

– The publicly-owned electricity company, EDM, has announced that on Thursday it recovered about 12 tonnes of copper stolen from its infrastructures and 80 radiators in the southern municipality of Matola.

According to Meque Licenga, the EDM Electrical Infrastructure supervisor, the seized material was stolen from the company’s facilities, causing underspecified financial losses to the company and depriving thousands of people of electricity.

“These copper cables were removed from Transformer Stations (PTs) and Distribution Lines, directly affecting thousands of customers. The vandalisation of electrical infrastructures continues to be a major challenge for the company”, he said, cited in a company statement.

He explained that the driver and the owner of the truck, which was transporting the material, were arrested and are being prosecuted.

Licenga said that EDM will continue to invest in preventive measures to reduce the impact of the theft of electrical equipment, explaining that. 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.
“Acts of vandalism delay the fulfillment of the goal of Universal Access to energy by 2030”, he added.

For his part, Hélder Juvêncio, the police spokesperson in Matola, explained that the seizure of this electrical equipment was possible thanks to routine inspection work carried out, following complaints made by EDM and the general public.

“We received complaints from EDM, which forced us to step up our enforcement work, culminating in the seizure of the lorry carrying copper destined for South Africa,” said Juvencio.

Source: AIM