With the memory of loadshedding still fresh in the minds of South Africans, today we have some good news involving Eskom.

The power utility announced this morning that eight suspects have been arrested for theft and vandalism of infrastructure in Gauteng. The arrests took place over October and November and were made possible through co-operation between Eskom, South African Police Services and members of communities in Gauteng.

Theft and vandalism are massive problems for Eskom. The utility says that the theft of copper costs it between R5 billion and R7 billion a year. Furthermore, Eskom says that it spends R2 billion just on replacing cabling.

“We are investigating and implementing alternative measures that will assist us to prevent the theft and vandalism of our equipment. We also would like to thank communities that report such acts to Eskom and to the SAPS. With the collaboration with the law enforcement agencies, we will ensure that these criminals are arrested and brought to book,” Safety, Health, Environment, Quality and Security manager at Eskom, Kith Maitisa said in a statement.

Sadly, two suspects lost their lives when they tampered with electricity equipment in two separate incidents.

Eskom asks citizens to report illegal connections, theft and vandalism via its Crime Line on 0800 112 722.

[Image – CC 0 Pixabay]