A 36-year-old Eskom employee at Tutuka power station was arrested on Thursday for her alleged involvement in the theft of copper cables.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), working alongside the Secunda-based serious organised crime investigation unit and the serious corruption investigation unit, apprehended the suspect after receiving a tip-off from a truck driver.
The truck driver, who had been hired to transport Eskom copper cables from the Tutuka power station in Standerton to Kriel power station, reported that the truck was diverted to a farm, raising suspicion.
Acting on this information, the Hawks traced the principal inspector, who had been working a night shift, and proceeded to her residence, where a search was conducted.
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Mpumalanga Hawks spokesperson, Captain Dineo Sekgotodi, confirmed the details of the arrest.
“During the search, we recovered an Eskom control register labeled ‘removal permit’ in her possession, as well as an Opel Corsa believed to have been used to escort the copper-carrying truck,” said Sekgotodi.
“A mobile phone was also seized. All items have been taken to the Standerton police station for safekeeping.”
The suspect is scheduled to appear before the Standerton magistrate’s court soon, facing charges of copper cable theft.
Ongoing investigation in Evander
The Hawks are investigating a connection between the inspector’s case and another ongoing investigation in Evander, where four men — two South Africans and two Mozambicans — were arrested in connection with possession of Eskom copper cables.
The Evander case is set to continue on Monday. The investigation remains active, with further developments expected in the coming days.
In July, a copper cable criminal and undocumented foreign national, Witness Sibanda, was found guilty of damaging and stealing essential infrastructure and contravening the Immigration Act.
Sibanda, who had stolen the copper cables from Camden power station in Mpumalanga, was sentenced to 15 years in jail.
