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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
CONSTRUCTION works at the Victoria Falls International Airport were temporarily halted last week after four villagers stole a generator that is used for back up electricity.

Spencer Zulu,24, Malvin Phiri, 28, Phinias Mudenda,38, and Zuze Phiri,45, were convicted on their own plea of guilty when they appeared before Victoria Falls magistrate Lindiwe Maphosa.

The four were each slapped with a six months jail term.

The sentence was wholly suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.

The 30-litre generator which was valued at $1,500 was recovered on Thursday last week after a man related to two of the thieves alerted the police.

Lance Dlamini, a representative from ADB, a company providing lighting services for China Jiangsu which is carrying out refurbishment work at the airport, said work at the airport was temporarily halted last week because there was no adequate power due to the theft of the generator.

Prosecuting, Takunda Ndovorwi, said the generator, a Honda EG 6500CX5, was mounted outside ADB premises within the airport when it was stolen.

“On April 18 at 6PM Zulu and Phiri proceeded to Victoria Falls International Airport intending to steal a generator. They failed to lift it and went to look for back up from Mudenda and Zuze,” said Ndovorwi.

The court heard that after stealing the generator they took it to Jordan Dube’s homestead where Mudenda and Zuze reside and hid it.

The generator was recovered on Thursday last week after Muchaneta Dzere, who is related to Zulu and Phiri alerted the police.