A man accused of tampering with critical Eskom infrastructure has been convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The man is one of two who were arrested in February 2022 on suspicion of stealing copper bars and installed copper at a Matla substation near Kriel.
The arrests were made by the South African Police Service (SAPS) with the help of drone surveillance, after the two initially tried to evade arrest by fleeing the scene.
Both men were granted bail, but the convicted suspect remained in custody since the day of the arrest until sentencing. The other accused skipped bail and a warrant of arrest has been issued for him.
“We commend the internal security investigations and the SAPS detectives team that work tirelessly together in bringing perpetrators to book,” said Nomsa Spaumer, the acting general manager for security at Eskom. “This is one of the many successes to come. We shall deal with all perpetrators without fear or favour and shall ensure all perpetrators face the full might of the law.”
Copper theft remains a serious threat to national infrastructure, especially as high metal prices continue to incentivise criminals in South Africa and elsewhere in the world.
Eskom continues to urge the public to report information regarding electricity-related crimes to the Eskom Crime Line.
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