Eskom says it is committed to rooting out thievery and corruption as evidenced by the latest arrests at one of its power stations.
A truck driver and his supervisor were nabbed for allegedly swapping out good-quality coal, and delivering sub-standard product, this time to the Matla power station in Mpumalanga.
The arrests took place after the truck driver was found to be in possession of subgrade coal destined for the facility. The coal swapping allegedly took place at a known illegal coal yard in the Mpumalanga area, prior to the delivery being made at the Matla Power Station.
The specialist team of investigators from Bidvest Protea Coin, who are contracted to Eskom to investigate coal, diesel and fuel oil theft cases, detected the truck as it entered and left the illegal coal yard heading towards the power station, where it was stopped.
During questioning, the truck driver admitted to offloading the ‘good-quality’ coal he had received from the Arthur Taylor Colliery, located in Mpumalanga. He further alleged that he
was acting on the instructions of his supervisor when he proceeded to the Rondebult coal
yard to exchange the coal.
The driver and his supervisor, employed by Ukusebenza Transport, were both placed under
arrest and a criminal case with various charges was opened with the South African Police
Services. The truck and trailer with the stolen coal was also impounded.
The suspects were remanded in custody until 13 December 2022 for a bail application.
Earlier this month, a contractor working at the Camden Power Station was arrested after he
was positively linked to an incident of sabotage, and in two separate incidents, truck drivers delivering coal to Camden and Kendal power stations were also arrested.
The General Manager for Security at Eskom Advocate Karen Pillay says these arrests are a significant step in rooting out criminals in Eskom.
It confirms the extent of criminality and prevalence of organised crimes affecting the
organisation. Eskom has discovered through investigations that the control processes are
deliberately bypassed by the criminal employees of the mines, transporters and Eskom
alike. We shall pursue these unscrupulous individuals relentlessly and ensure that justice is
served.
The replacement of quality coal with discarded coal has a serious negative impact on the plants and performance at the power stations.
Coal theft is a highly organised criminal activity and syndicates involved are being enriched through the proceeds derived from the trade in stolen coal and other commodities.
Eskom says the criminal black market for such commodities and establishment of illegal coal yards and dumpsites are expanding at a rapid rate due to the lag in law enforcement and the high levels of corruption and collusion.
Eskom loses billions of rand due to the misappropriation of coal and similar commodities which directly affects production.
