Kendal power station
Photo by: Creamer Media
State-owned power utility Eskom says two truck drivers contracted by it were arrested at the Kendal power station, in Mpumalanga, on November 10, after they were found to be in possession of stolen coal.
A criminal case of coal theft has been registered with the Ogies police station.
Eskom explains that the trucks belong to an ash transporting company contracted to Eskom.
The suspects were exiting the power station’s coal gate when they were stopped by security personnel conducting vehicle inspections. Both drivers resisted the searches and maintained that the trucks were empty, the utility reports.
Eskom security GM Advocate Karen Pillay says this instance is part of a bigger problem, since coal theft is a highly organised criminal activity, with syndicates that are enriched through the proceeds derived from trading in stolen coal.
“Eskom continues to lose billions of rands owing to the misappropriation of coal and similar commodities, which directly affects production,” she adds.
Pillay explains there are several illicit coal stockyards and dump sites in Mpumalanga that are recipients of the stolen coal.
Eskom states that the Eskom Security Team, together with the South African Police Service, are working hard to identify and disrupt the criminal networks. The utility urges the public to report information related to coal, fuel oil and diesel theft on the Eskom crime line – 0800 11 27 22.