Eskom executive accused of sabotage must be charged with treason: SAFTU

The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) has reiterated its call for the arrest of a suspended Eskom executive suspected of sabotaging power stations.

This follows reports that police are working to arrest the official who was allegedly working with auditors and engineers to ensure breakdowns occur at various power stations.

SAFTU General-Secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, says the assets of those implicated should be attached to recoup losses.

“We have now learned that the senior executive has been suspended. That person is unnamed, even though we have seen some images alleging that this is the person behind sabotage. We have now written a letter to the Minister of State Security and the Minister of Police. We want this person to be arrested and to be trialled, not only for sabotage but for treason.”

In November last year, a contractor working at Camden power station in Mpumalanga was arrested after being positively linked to an incident of sabotage.

Eskom said the contractor admitted to intentionally removing the oil drain plug causing oil burners to trip repeatedly.

Organised crime at Eskom

In October last year, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) told Parliament that they have uncovered massive organised crime at Eskom.

SIU Head, Andy Mothibi, said officials developed sophisticated methods of hiding their involvement in companies that do business with the entity.

Mothibi says one case involves the supply of poor-quality coal from the Brakfontein mine for the Majuba Power Station in Mpumalanga.

Good quality coal from a different mine was presented for testing but what was delivered was coal from Brakfontein which had been ruled unsuitable.

Kganyago spoke to SABC News about the investigations into the power utility:

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