Eskom steel thief arrested
Eskom has announced that one of its employees was arrested on Thursday for allegedly stealing pylon structural cross members at the Eskom Academy of Learning and selling them to a scrap metal dealer in Midrand.
The Eskom Security team received a tip-off regarding the sale of the pylon steel, and upon visiting the scrap metal dealer, discovered around forty pieces of cross members.
According to Eskom, the scrap dealer manager confirmed that an Eskom employee had brought steel.
They also indicated that the employee would return to the scrapyard to collect money in the afternoon.
Eskom’s security team waited for the employee to return, and he was arrested for stealing the company’s property.
The suspect was taken into custody at the Midrand police station.
Eskom said it had reported several theft and vandalism incidents over the past few months involving pylons, which subsequently collapse and leave residents without electricity for days.
“It is quite disappointing to have one of your own working against the entire collective and its mandate to provide quality electricity to customers,” stated Eskom’s Gauteng safety and security manager Kith Maitisa.
“We condemn such acts of criminality in the strongest terms as they not only affect Eskom, but also impact our customers with unnecessary supply interruptions which can be avoided.”
Maitisa said they would continue to increase efforts to curb theft, vandalism of infrastructure, and any criminal acts by anyone, especially Eskom employees who should be the guardians against such infrastructure destruction.
“We continue to urge all those who may be aware of any form of criminal acts by Eskom employees or anyone else, to anonymously alert us by calling the Eskom Crime Line on 0800 112 722,” Maitisa said.
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