A 24-year-old man has been jailed for three years with hard labour after admitting to stealing water meters belonging to Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) — a crime prosecutors say directly forced desperate residents to drink from unprotected wells, exposing them to deadly waterborne diseases. But state prosecutor Sergeant Themba Changaya of LWB Police pushed hard for a stiff punishment, painting a grim picture of the devastating knock-on effects of water meter theft across the city. As a direct result, residents had been left with no choice but to turn to drinking water from unprotected wells, dangerously exposing themselves to waterborne diseases in the process. The prosecution reminded the court that the offence carries a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment with hard labour. She went on to sentence Gama to three years’ imprisonment with hard labour, sending a clear message that the theft of essential public infrastructure will not be treated lightly by the courts.