Maputo — The Mozambican publicly owned electricity company, EDM, in the central province of Zambezia, suffered losses of 3.8 million meticais (60,000 US dollars) during this year, due to theft and sabotage.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, in the Zambezia provincial capital, Quelimane, the director of the EDM-Quelimane Area, Ludovina Beleza, said that the theft and destruction of electrical equipment during this year has significantly affected EDM's capacity to supply electricity to various parts of the province.

He described Mocuba district as "the epicentre of these criminal activities'.

Beleza said that criminal proceedings are under way against three individuals arrested in connection with the sabotage. To halt this wave of destruction of public property, EDM is waging campaigns to raise awareness in the communities, appealing to public vigilance to reduce the levels of theft and vandalism.

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"EDM maintains permanent interaction with the communities', he said, "in order to awaken the public to the negative impact of the losses caused by acts of sabotage of electrical facilities throughout the province'.

Beleza said that, despite the sabotage, substantial progress has been made in rural electrification in Zambezia. Of the 49 administrative posts in the province, only six have not yet been electrified. Work is currently under way to raise the money needed to electrify these posts, although he did not say when this work is expected to begin.

He said that, over the last five years, the percentage of Zambezia's population with access to electricity has risen from 24 to 35 per cent.

Beleza added that EDM is also strengthening its infrastructures in Zambezia to resist the effects of tropical storms, which can knock down pylons and cables and plunge large areas into darkness,