Eskom Arrests Three Contractors for Diesel Theft at Kusile Power Station
Eskom has announced the arrest of three contractor employees — an excavator operator and two mechanics — for allegedly stealing diesel valued at R1,000 from Kusile Power Station.
The arrests occurred on Tuesday, 23 July 2024, after the suspects reportedly attempted to bribe their supervisor with R5,000 to avoid being reported.
According to Eskom, the supervisor had been contacted by the excavator operator, who requested permission to leave work early. When the supervisor went to investigate, he noticed a suspicious white vehicle and two unidentified individuals in the vicinity.
The individuals claimed to be mechanics sent to address a malfunction on the machine. However, further questioning revealed that the excavator operator and the mechanics had siphoned diesel from the excavator. They had transferred 40 litres of diesel into two 20-litre containers.
In an attempt to evade detection, the suspects offered the supervisor R5,000 to keep quiet about the theft, but the supervisor refused the bribe and reported the incident.
The South African Police Service responded promptly, arresting the suspects at the scene and taking them to the Phola Police Station. They were charged and appeared in court on Thursday, 25 July. The case has been postponed to 4 September, and the suspects were released on bail of R500 each.
Botse Sikhwitshi, Eskom’s Acting General Manager for Security, condemned the criminal activity, stating, “Eskom will not tolerate such behavior within its operations.” He also praised the supervisor and security team for their diligence in addressing the theft.
