The outage has also reportedly affected over 200 quarantined returnees and deportees awaiting COVID-19 tests in the border town, Plumtree District Hospital and the whole of Bulilima District.
Zesa Plumtree area manager Victor Ndawana in a memo to stakeholders seen by NewsDay yesterday said the thieves stole seven spans of copper cables
"Plumtree feeder was vandalised, we are working to resuscitate it. Three towers were vandalised close to Criterion substation in Burnside, Bulawayo. About seven spans of copper were stolen and three towers collapsed," he said.
"Scope of work involves wayleave clearance, planting of five wooden poles and restringing. Plumtree and Bulawayo environs gangs are working together."
The theft came at a time Zesa was replacing copper cables with "steel" wires.
