Mozambique: Vandalised medium-voltage electric pole leaves part of Chimoio without power

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Mozambique: Vandalised medium-voltage electric pole leaves part of Chimoio without power

2:04 CAT | 05 Jun 2025

File photo: Lusa

Around 600 homes in Chimoio, capital of the Mozambican province of Manica, are without electricity today following the vandalism of infrastructure, Electricity of Mozambique (EDM) has announced.

A statement from the state-owned power utility claims that “unknown individuals” vandalized a medium-voltage pole during the early hours of the morning, “causing the interruption of electricity supply to some of our customers in the city of Chimoio”.

“EDM is mobilizing equipment to replace the vandalized system and ensure the restoration of the energy supply,” it adds.

EDM had previously announced that it recorded losses of around 28 million meticais (€402,000 ) from vandalism in 2024, two million meticais (€29,000) less than in 2023.

In 2022, EDM lost around 41 million meticais (€589,000) as a result of 265 cases of vandalism registered in the country, and in 2021 posted its biggest loss ever, at around 260 million meticais (€3.7 million).

The company’s losses have been falling since 2021 due to community awareness through lectures, increased interaction with administrative structures, with operational bodies such as the Police of the Republic of Mozambique and the Mozambican National Criminal Investigation Service, as well as to complaints filed by the population, according to the company.

EDM said that Maputo province, in southern Mozambique and the four provinces in the centre of the country, including Manica, were the leading targets vandalism.

In March, the state-owned power company announced the recovery of around 12 tonnes of vandalised and stolen company equipment that was about to be sold in South Africa, with two people arrested by police.

“These cables were removed from transformer stations and distribution lines, directly affecting thousands of customers. The vandalisation of electrical infrastructure continues to be a major challenge for the company,” said Meque Licenga, supervisor of electrical infrastructure at EDM.

The material was seized by Mozambican police in the municipality of Matola, Maputo province, and the driver and owner of the truck transporting the equipment were arrested.

“We received complaints from EDM, which forced us to step up our inspection work, culminating in the seizure of a truck carrying copper bound for South Africa,” a police spokesman said at the time.

The Mozambican electricity company points to theft and vandalism of infrastructures as one of the company’s “greatest challenges”, stating that it had caused “great losses” and was delaying the achievement of universal access to energy by 2030.

“EDM reinforces its call for vigilance and reporting of any act that threatens the integrity of electrical infrastructures,” the company previously appealed.

Source: Lusa