Mpumalanga SAPS arrested three suspects in Kendal, Ogies, after copper cables and other metals were found on their property.
A 45-year-old scrap metal business owner, Ben Jacobs and two employees attached to Rotex servicing Eskom at Kusile power station, Thabang Nxumalo, 42, and Jeremiah Mahlangu, 48, were granted R1 500 bail each after a brief appearance in Ogies Magistrate’s Court on October 13.
According to information, the team of police officers and SANDF who are assigned to safeguard Eskom properties were conducting their normal patrol duties at Kendal power station when they spotted a suspicious looking light delivery vehicle driving into one of the scrap metal businesses at about noon last week.
The team followed the vehicle. On the team’s arrival, the light delivery vehicle was indeed parked inside the yard. Also in the same premises was a VW T-Cross.
The team was allowed to search both vehicles.
Police said nothing was found in the light delivery vehicle, but in the T-Cross two bags loaded with copper cables and three rolls of loose copper cables were found.
The items were identified by Kusile, where Nxumalo and Mahlangu work, as its property.
Police said the owner of the T-Cross claimed to be the lawful owner of the copper cables and produced the proof of purchase. The copper cables were bought from the same scrap metal business where the vehicle was found, and she had a receipt proving her statement.
About 15 heavy green metals rollers, which were identified by the Kendal power station as the power utility's property, were also found in the scrap yard.
Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said the scrap metal business owner Jacobs and the two employees, Nxumalo and Mahlangu, were arrested.
Mohlala confirmed that Nxumalo and Mahlangu were charged for damage to essential infrastructure, and Jacobs was charged for possession of suspected stolen property.
“Police cannot rule out possibilities of making more arrests as some of the names of people who sold Eskom properties to Jacobs appear in the items register,” said Mohlala.
He said the SAPS in Mpumalanga welcomed the arrest of the suspect’s and commended the partnership between SAPS and SANDF members who formed a strong team to clamp down on those who target the power utility’s property.