Last week, Electricidade de Moçambique recovered around twelve tons of copper and eighty radiators in the municipality of Matola, Maputo province.

The material seized by the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) was destined to be sold in neighboring South Africa, the company said in a statement.

As a result, the driver and owner of the truck carrying the material are being held at the PRM's 2nd Police Station in Matola and are following the legal procedures.

According to the note, which quotes EDM's Electrical Infrastructure Supervisor, Meque Licenga, the seized equipment is the result of systematic thefts from the company's infrastructure, compromising the energy supply to thousands of customers.

"These cables were removed from Transformer Stations (PTs) and Distribution Lines, directly affecting thousands of customers. The vandalization of electrical infrastructures continues to be a major challenge for the company," he said.

He said that the company has invested in preventive measures to reduce the negative impact of the theft of electrical equipment. In 2024 alone, EDM suffered a loss of around 28 million meticais, with the peak being in 2021, with around 260 million meticais resulting from the theft and vandalization of electrical equipment.

For his part, the Head of the PRM Provincial Command's Public Relations Department, Hélder Juvêncio, said that the seizure of the electrical equipment was possible thanks to routine inspection work carried out by the Corporation, following complaints made by EDM and the general public.

"We received complaints from EDM, which forced us to step up our surveillance work, culminating in the seizure of the truck carrying copper bound for South Africa," said Hélder Juvêncio, a PRM agent.

It should be noted that combating the vandalization of electrical infrastructures has been one of EDM's greatest challenges, as it generates huge losses not only for the company, but mainly for the population, which is deprived of electricity for long hours.