Eskom has expressed shocked that a Gauteng employee had to be arrested for alleged cable theft, together with a scrap metal dealership owner.
The Eskom employee was caught in the act of allegedly delivering 108m and 160m of copper valued at around R280 000 in an Eskom truck to a scrap metal dealership in the east of Johannesburg on Tuesday.
Motlhabane Ramashi, Eskom’s senior manager for maintenance and operations in Gauteng, said in a statement on Wednesday the employee would also face internal disciplinary action.
“Our employee was tracked to a scrap metal dealership in the east of Johannesburg, where he delivered 108 metres and 160 metres (11 kV and 22 kV respectively) of copper estimated to the value of R280 000, using an Eskom truck, on 21 January 2020.
“The matter was immediately reported to the police, who subsequently made arrests,” Ramashi said.
“We are saddened that one of our own is implicated in the alleged theft. However, we remain committed to rooting out any wrongdoings that seek to undermine our efforts to deliver services and be efficient in our operations.
“The investigation was informed by our commitment to resource optimisation where we ensure that material is channelled to its intended use.
“We will continue to heighten efforts to curb material losses and any criminal act by anyone, including our employees.”
