Two people were arrested at the Eskom Matla power station in Mpumalanga on Monday for allegedly stealing coal from the power station.
According to Eskom, both are employees of a transport company that has a contract with the power company to transport coal.
“The arrests came after the truck driver was found to be in possession of secondary coal destined for the facility. The coal exchange is believed to have taken place at a known illegal coal yard in the Mpumalanga area before being delivered to Matla Power Station.
“During interrogation, the truck driver admitted that he was unloading ‘good quality’ coal which he obtained from the Arthur Taylor mine located in Mpumalanga. He further claimed that he was acting on the instructions of his supervisor when he went to the Rondebult coal plant to exchange coal,” Eskom said in a statement.
The energy company explained that the theft of coal is a “highly organized criminal activity” that not only enriches syndicates, but also damages power plants.
“The criminal black market for such goods and the creation of illegal coal depots and dumps are expanding rapidly due to lagging law enforcement and high levels of corruption and collusion.
“Eskom is losing billions of rands due to misappropriation of coal and similar commodities, which directly affects production,” the energy company said.
Eskom’s general manager of security, Karen Pillay, said the arrests, which follow arrests on similar charges at Camden and Kendal power stations, are an important step for the energy company.
“It also confirms the extent of criminality and the prevalence of organized crime affecting the organisation. During the course of the investigation, Eskom found that criminal employees of the mines, transporters and Eskom were deliberately circumventing the control processes. We will relentlessly pursue these unscrupulous people and ensure justice is served.
“This is a clear demonstration of our determination to fight crime at Eskom,” she said. – SAnews.gov.za
