Two men, one woman sentenced for tampering with Eskom infrastructure

The Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court has sentenced three people to six years in prison each for tampering with Eskom’s essential infrastructure and malicious damage to property.

The court found the convicts, two men and one woman, guilty on 27 June 2024, for the theft of Eskom pylon tower members in Braamfischer, Soweto, during the Covid-19 lockdown in September 2021.

The suspects had been in custody since 2021, having been denied bail after the state successfully opposed their release.

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Each convict received a four-year imprisonment sentence, with an additional four years suspended for five years, for tampering with essential Eskom infrastructure and malicious damage to property.

The court also sentenced them to two years in prison, with three years suspended for five years, for the theft of the Eskom tower members.

Police arrested the suspects after a community member tipped off authorities while they were painting the tower members of Eskom pylons to camouflage and sell them.

Eskom security officials confiscated the stolen items after positively identifying them, linking the suspects to the crime.

“We express our deepest gratitude for the active citizenry demonstrated by the community through the tip-off and the prompt action by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and other law enforcement agencies that led to this successful conviction,” said Kith Maitisa, Eskom Gauteng Safety, Health, Environment and Quality Middle Manager.

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“This is a testament to the effectiveness of partnerships with all stakeholders in combating criminality in our communities. We are pleased with the harsh sentence, which will serve as a deterrent to others considering similar crimes.”

Crime and Eskom infrastructure

The power utility has repeatedly urged communities to report suspicious activities related to its infrastructure, as crime remains a significant threat.

Damage to infrastructure affects electricity supply and endangers the safety of both employees and community members.

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Maitisa said additional security measures have led to a 63% reduction in direct losses due to criminal activities between 1 April and 31 July 2024 compared to the same period last year.

“If not addressed, these irresponsible and criminal acts can have dire consequences, including prolonged interruptions to essential services like hospitals and schools that results in irreversible harm to people’s lives and unnecessary costs to Eskom,” said Maitisa.

Cable theft in Joburg

Regionally, City Power has acknowledged that some of its employees are responsible for damage to its infrastructure.

In July, the power utility issued a warning to employees involved in cable theft and vandalism.

“The involvement of contracted security officers and now one of the employees is something we find particularly worrying, because these are the people that have been entrusted with the duty of safeguarding our infrastructure,” said CEO Tshifularo Mashava.

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“Early this financial year, we reinforced our security operations with extra intelligence and technology muscle to unmask some of these internal collaborators.

“We strongly condemn this conduct and assure the public that even those among us implicated will not be spared. We have never ruled out the involvement of our contractors and staff in the theft and vandalism problem.”