Electricity Minister, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has announced that a team that was set up to investigate criminal activities at Eskom has arrested 126 people out of more than 1,952 cases that were reported.
Eskom has been under siege from criminal syndicates with political parties saying the police must investigate the figures behind the cartels.
One minister described Eskom as a crime scene.
The police have told Parliament’s finance watchdog, the standing committee on public accounts, recently that there were various syndicates operating at Eskom’s power stations.
Ramokgopa said an Energy Safety and Security Priority Committee was established to deal with Eskom-related crimes.
This is the work that involves the security cluster.
However, despite the 126 people arrested from last year, there have been more than 1,952 cases reported during this period.
“An Energy Safety and Security Priority Committee was established to address Eskom-related crime on an inter-departmental, multi-disciplinary basis to address the objectives of Work Stream Six of the National Energy Crisis Committee (Necom).
“A total of 1,952 Eskom-related cases were reported to the SA Police Service between 1 April 2022 and 29 May 2023, with 1,405 cases still under investigation, and 126 arrests have been made,” said Ramokgopa in a written reply to a parliamentary question from IFP MP Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi.
“Whilst much remains, these interventions are beginning to turn the situation around, and there are indications that operational measures implemented have clearly disrupted the activities of criminal syndicates.”
Ramokgopa also told a media briefing on Friday that a senior official in the police and the State Security Agency were dealing with matters related to crimes committed at Eskom.
They may deal with the issue of the senior executive at Eskom who has been implicated in sabotaging power stations with the syndicates.
Ramokgopa said there was progress that has been made in this area.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
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