Eskom fires employee for theft

Eskom has announced that an employee who was arrested at Tutuka Power Station for hydraulic fuel oil theft has been found guilty and fired from the power utility.

Karabo Twala, a former employee at the power station, was arrested in October 2022 for stealing five drums of fire-resistant hydraulic fuel oil.

“Karabo Twala, an Eskom employee from Tutuka Power Station, was found guilty on charges of theft of 5×210 litres of Hydraulic Fuel Oil and was dismissed from Eskom employment on 22 February 2024,” Eskom said in a statement.

The statement relates to the state-owned power utility’s own disciplinary procedure.

Curiously, it took Eskom almost three months to fire Twala. In December 2023, he was sentenced to one year in prison or to pay a fine of R10,000 by the Standerton Regional Court on related criminal charges. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.

“We welcome the outcome of the disciplinary hearing. Eskom has zero tolerance for acts of dishonesty and will ensure that employees who are involved in such acts are dealt with harshly,” said Botse Sikhwitshi, the acting general manager for security at Eskom.

The power utility urged the public to report illegal activity such as unlawful electricity sales, fraud, and coal, oil, and diesel theft.

“Reporting can be done anonymously,” it stated.

The power utility has been cracking down on illegal activity at its power stations, and Sikhwitshi reiterated this.

“Eskom has a zero-tolerance stance on acts of dishonesty and views the conduct of the employee as unacceptable,” said Sikhwitshi.

“We will continue working on flushing out the minority that cast a shadow on the organisation.”

To this end, Eskom revealed in October 2023 that an Eskom Rotek Industries sub-contractor was arrested for bribery at Camden Power Station.

The contractor had allegedly claimed that a truck driver had delivered a load of coal scattered with rocks.

He told the truck driver that he would ground all trucks, of which three were in the queue at the time, unless he was paid a bribe of R6,00o.

“The suspect had since confessed to soliciting a bribe and was arrested and detained at the Ermelo Police Station,” Eskom said.

“He was subsequently charged with bribery and appeared before the Ermelo Magistrate’s Court on 12 October 2023.”

Just over a month earlier, Eskom revealed three arrests for fraud and theft of coal were made on 22 September 2023.