Power utilities Eskom and City Power arrested some of their employees, contractors and security guards, among others, for infrastructure theft this week.
City Power arrested four men, including two security officers and two contractors, for allegedly stealing four drums of cables worth R350 000, while Eskom confirmed the arrest of four employees and contractor security for the theft of heavy fuel oil valued at R500 000 at Camden Power Station, Mpumalanga.
Cable theft costs the economy about R47 billion a year and damage to infrastructure about R137 million.
Eskom said the accused have been charged and were detained at Ermelo police station.
The initial arrests took place at midnight on August 10, when two Eskom weighbridge operators were apprehended for their alleged role in colluding to steal heavy fuel oil and defraud the company. After further investigations on August 16, authorities arrested two more Eskom employees – a weighbridge operator and a control room operator – and a contractor security guard.
All the accused remain in custody as the case has been remanded to August 27, following an initial remand to August 20 for a bail application.
Eskom said the investigation began during a routine quality inspection of coal deliveries at Camden Power Station, conducted by the utility’s Security Investigation team.
A truck attempting to leave the station had been intercepted and the driver asked to park on the side of the road. Upon presenting a weighbridge slip, the driver had said that 30 610kg of heavy fuel oil had been offloaded at Camden Power Station. However, a subsequent inspection had revealed that the truck was remained loaded with the fuel oil.
The driver had fled the scene, triggering further investigations that had led to the arrests.
“Eskom is committed to safeguarding the security and integrity of its critical infrastructure. The ongoing collaboration between Eskom’s internal security investigations team and law enforcement agencies, co-ordinated by the National Energy Crisis Committee’s Safety and Security Priority Committee, is yielding positive results in our efforts to combat crime and corruption,” said Botse Sikhwitshi, Eskom’s acting general manager for security.
“While the majority of our employees are hard working and dedicated to enhancing Eskom’s performance, we are fully committed to eradicating corruption. The recent arrests are a positive step in our ongoing efforts to eliminate criminal activities within our organisation, reaffirming our zero-tolerance approach to crime and corruption”
City Power said the suspects, aged between 30 and 40 years, appeared in the Booysens Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. They had been arrested on August 18 after being caught with four drums of copper cable, following a tip-off about suspicious activity at head office.
City Power said the arrests highlighted it strengthened security and internal control measures aimed at rooting out the involvement of insiders in criminal activities.
It said that earlier this month, five suspects were arrested, three of them employees.
In July 2024, another employee was served with a suspension letter for his involvement in the theft of copper cable valued at approximately R2.1m.
In June, the Hawks arrested five City Power electricians attached to the Inner City Service Delivery Centre. The electricians are under investigation for extortion and corruption.
In the same month, 15 other individuals, including nine City Power security guards, were apprehended during a police sting operation for cable theft.
“City Power said these arrests demonstrate the entity’s zero-tolerance policy towards criminality and corruption,” spokesperson Isaac Mangena said.
Between July 2023 to July 2024, a total of 132 people, some of them internal staff members and contractors, were arrested on various charges linked to theft and vandalism.
“We hope that this sends a very strong message to those who may still be involved in any form of criminality, particularly those who are attached to City Power in some capacity. Our Security Risk Management will not hesitate to escort anyone out of our offices and ensure that they face the full might of the law,” said City Power CEO Tshifularo Mashava.
She said that in the previous financial year, 19 people were handed down a cumulative prison sentence of 163 years, of which 48 years was suspended.
Mashava said that between March and July this year, 10 individuals, including a minor, were convicted for their involvement in cable theft and vandalism of electrical infrastructure.
She said that in a series of landmark cases, the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court handed down suspended 15-year sentences in March 2024 to Rethabile Thabana 34, Bongi Sthibe 33, and Thabani Nkosi, 28, for tampering with essential infrastructure. The three were arrested in Johannesburg Central on March 25, 2022.
In April 2024, the Johannesburg Regional Court in Randburg sentenced a 17-year-old to the option of either a R40 000 fine or a three-year suspended prison sentence for tampering with infrastructure.
In May 2024, the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court sentenced Zimbabwean national Andile Ndlovu, 45, to eight years’ imprisonment for tampering with infrastructure in Sandringham on December 20, 2022.
In the same month, the Tembisa Magistrate’s Court sentenced Tsietsi Masemene, 33, to 15 years’ imprisonment for damaging infrastructure. He was arrested on August 17, 2022 in Rabie Ridge.
In July, four people were convicted. The Booysens Magistrate’s Court sentenced Luzipho Samkelo 31, to eight years’ imprisonment for tampering with essential infrastructure. Tshuma Sibusiso, 30, another Zimbabwean national, was sentenced to seven months’ imprisonment for possessing stolen property. The Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court sentence Eugene Mkhize, 41, and Sandile Afrikander, 48, to 10 years’ imprisonment for tampering with essential infrastructure.
“While we are encouraged by these convictions which show the meticulous work of our security department, the lenient sanctions imposed in some cases, is troubling,” Mashava said.
“Crimes against essential infrastructure are classified as Schedule Five offences and should be treated accordingly. We will seek a thorough review from the National Prosecuting Authority on these suspended sentences and make sure that every sentence imposed in relation to tampering with essential infrastructure duly fits the crime and serve as an example to deter would-be criminals.”
The Star