Eskom at war

In the past few weeks, Eskom has announced several major crime-fighting successes and emphasised its collaboration with law enforcement in addressing historical corruption and misconduct at the power utility.

Eskom has suffered billions of rand in losses due to a wide variety of crimes over many years, ranging from theft and sabotage to tender and procurement corruption.

On multiple occasions, the power utility has stressed that most of its roughly 40,000 employees were honest and dedicated. Only a small minority engaged in criminal activities and must be identified and dealt with decisively, it said.

The power utility has been collaborating with law enforcement officers in the Energy Safety and Security Prority Committee of the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (Natjoints) to combat corruption and theft within its operations.

Most recently, the power utility announced that six people were arrested for their involvement in a fraudulent procurement scheme at Kusile Power Station, one of the hotbeds for incidents of corruption.

The arrests included a former Kusile procurement officer and procurement manager and followed a coordinated intelligence-driven operation.

The investigation found that a pump was unlawfully procured for R857,977 in 2018 after an identical pump with the same serial number was bought for just R18,835 in 2015.

Not accounting for price changes over those three years, the price tag on the new pump was inflated by 4,455%.

Eskom said the fraudulent transaction led to a direct financial loss for the power utility.

Earlier in March, Eskom also announced a flurry of arrests and provided updates on court cases against people involved in crimes against the power utility with a financial impact of R1.09 million.

These included the following:

• 31 January 2025 — Eskom employee and contracted security officer arrested for R700,000 diesel theft at Kriel Power Station.
• 20 February 2025 — Eskom supplier and brother arrested for theft of 16 dome vales worth R173,000 at Tutuka Power Station. Suspects released on R10,000 bail each.
• 26 February 2025 — Suspect sentenced to five years direct imprisonment without option of fine after theft conviction for stealing ash conveyor belts at Matimba Power Station.
• 12 March 2025 — Date set for case against dismissed Eskom employee accused of extorting R220,000 with false promise of tender to supply toilets, stationery, uniforms and baton sticks while working at Arnot Power Station. Bail granted at R50,000.

From the cases above, Eskom has so far recovered R873,000.

There may be many more arrests coming in the next few months.

Eskom has also partnered with the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) in an expansive 20-year probe from 1 January 2003 to December 2022 to look into misconduct and governance problems.

Eskom has also appointed specialised forensic experts to address historical misconduct and governance issues at the power utility.

Eskom has restructured its forensic, security, and investigative functions under the newly established Group Investigations and Security division, which reports directly to the Eskom CEO.

“Additionally, a dedicated Project Management Office has been created to analyse data-driven findings, oversee internal and external investigations, and clear the backlog of cases in coordination with law enforcement agencies.”

Eskom workers also victims of crime

Eskom’s workers have also been at the other end of crime, particularly when attending to electricity infrastructure.

In the Eastern Cape alone, robbers and hijackers have made off with R2.6 million worth of Eskom equipment in the 2024/2025 financial year, of which only about R388,573’s hardware has been recovered.

Since the start of the financial year, Eskom employees in the province have endured 19 violent attacks, including 14 armed robberies and five car hijackings.

“Criminals are employing extreme violence, using firearms, hijacking company and personal vehicles, coercing employees into transferring cash, and even restraining them,” the power utility said.

“These threats place Eskom personnel at severe risk of injury or loss of life while carrying out essential duties.

“The consequences of these attacks extend beyond individual safety concerns. They contribute to the deterioration of public infrastructure, jeopardise energy security, disrupt electricity supply, result in financial losses, and create an unsafe work environment.”