Hawks arrest Eskom worker for copper theft

By Everson Luhanga

The Hawks arrested a 36-year-old Eskom Tutuka power station employee for stealing copper cables.

Refilwe Motloung was remanded in custody by the Standerton Magistrate court on 4 October and the case was postponed to Thursday, 10 October.

The Hawks’ Secunda serious organised crime investigation unit and the serious corruption investigation unit arrested Motloung after a truck owner’s tip-off. 

The truck was hired to move Eskom copper cables from the Tutuka power station near Standerton to the Kriel power station, but it was sent to a farm instead.

Mpumalanga Hawks spokesperson Captain Dineo Sekgotodi said they arrested the principal night shift inspector of the Tutuka power station on Thursday.

“We found an Eskom control register on her and confiscated it. We also took an Opel Corsa used to guide the copper truck and a cellphone. Everything was sent to Standerton police station,” Sekgotodi said.

“We’re still investigating.”

Motloung’s case might join another in Evander, where four men were caught with Eskom copper cables. 

Thabo Dlamini, Dumisani Njinga, Solomon Mlambo, and Silas Sithole are in custody and due in the Evander Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 7 October.

Pictured above: Refilwe Motloung, 36, will remain in custody until her next court date on 10 October; above, the stolen cable in a bakkie.

Source: Supplied