Over 300 cases are registered, and 71 people have already been arrested
Police minister Bheki Cele this week has told Parliament that part of the problems that Eskom is faced with is the theft of coal by a criminal syndicate in Mpumalanga.
Cele said criminals work at a “black site” around Middelburg and steal the coal that is transported from mines to power stations…
ALSO SEE: Load-shedding costs Mpumalanga R69-million per day
The syndicate, operating with truck-drivers and Eskom employees, would then unload the coal and then replace with lower-grade coal or discarded coal by-products that the thieves then send to the power stations.
These are either highly inefficient at generating the heat required to produce electricity or could damage generating units, resulting in costly breakdowns that increase the likelihood of load-shedding.
Eskom is currently struggling with supplying electricity in South Africa and has implemented stage 6 load-shedding.
Cele said four Eskom workers were arrested and more others belonging in the coal criminal syndicate…
ALSO SEE: Mpumalanga police boss is targeted by illegal mining criminal gang
Thousands of tonnes of Eskom coal have been stolen and sold to international buyers for serious amounts money, according to the Sunday Times.
The second syndicate identified by the SAPS relates to conductor cable theft, where 14 accused got arrested and face charges in court.
Syndicates who conduct cable theft have been caught many times but new players always pop up.
Cele noted further that cases have also been opened against Eskom workers who embarked on an illegal strike in June. It was during this strike that acts of sabotage were also recorded by the power utility, which forced it to implement stage 6 load shedding.
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(edited by MLM)
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