On Wednesday, 21 August, Eskom confirmed the arrest of four employees and a contracted security guard. The group were arrested in connection with the theft of heavy fuel oil, valued at R500 000 from the Camden Power Station.
The accused have been charged and detained at Ermelo Police Station after their initial arrested on Friday, 10 August 2024, at midnight. This follows the arrest of two Eskom weighbridge operators, apprehended for their alleged role in an attempt to steal heavy fuel oil and defraud the company.
Eskom’s Acting General Manager for Security, Botse Sikhwitshi said “the investigation began during a routine quality inspection of coal deliveries at Camden Power Station, conducted by Eskom’s Security Investigation team.
“A suspicious truck attempting to leave the station was intercepted, and the driver was asked to park on the side of the road. Upon presenting a weighbridge slip, the driver claimed that 30 610 kilograms of heavy fuel oil had been offloaded at Camden Power Station.”
After an inspection, authorities discovered the truck was still fully loaded with the fuel oil. The driver then fled the scene, which triggered further investigation, which resulted in the arrests.
After additional investigations on 16 August 2024, two more Eskom employees were apprehended, a weighbridge operator and a control room operator. Arrested alongside the pair was a security guard, hired as a contractor. The accused remain in custody, with their case remanded to 27 August 2024 for a formal bail application.
“The ongoing collaboration between Eskom’s internal security investigations team and law enforcement agencies, coordinated by the National Energy Crisis Committee’s (NECOM) Safety and Security Priority Committee, is yielding positive results in our efforts to combat crime and corruption,” said Sikhwitshi.
Sikhwitshi called the recent arrests “a positive step” in Eskom’s ongoing effort to eliminate criminal activities, saying the arrests reaffirm “Eskom’s zero-tolerance approach to crime and corruption.”
Eskom urges the public to report any unlawful activities, such as fraud, illegal electricity sales, theft of coal, fuel oil, and diesel, and crimes targeting critical infrastructure.
Meanwhile, a recent collaboration between Eskom and various law enforcement agencies removed over 35 illegally connected transformers in Gauteng’s Diepsloot Extension 6.
The joint operation is part of the ongoing efforts by Eskom to reclaim network assets, and alleviate the grid burden caused by unauthorised and illegal electricity connections.
The 2022/23 financial year saw Eskom suffer non-technical losses amounting to approximately R5 billion, due mostly to illegal connections, meter bypasses, and electricity-related criminal activities.
Illegal transformers connections do not only destabilise Eskom’s network, but are the cause of “frequent supply interruptions, extended outages and substandard service for paying customers.” This further poses significant safety risks to technicians responsible for maintenance of the system.
Eskom’s Group Executive for Distribution, Monde Bala, expressed his deep gratitude for the collaboration with the South African Police Service (SAPS), Joburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), Red Ants, Eskom Protective Services, and the private security companies involved in the successful operation.
“These efforts are crucial in safeguarding Eskom’s assets, ensuring public safety, and mitigating the severe energy losses caused by illegal connections, meter bypasses, and acts of theft and vandalism,” Bala added.
He further added that Eskom is “currently investigating allegations from community leaders that some Eskom employees are allegedly involved in the sale of illegal transformers. We will update community leaders on the outcomes of these investigations once they are concluded.”
Members of the public are encouraged to report illegal connections, meter bypasses, and any suspicious activities to the Eskom Crime Line at 0800 11 27 22 or via WhatsApp at 081 333 3323.
