Eskom employee Refilwe Motloung is accused of copper cable theft. Photo: Supplied/Hawks
A 36-year-old employee at Eskom’s Tutuka power station in Standerton, Mpumalanga will spend the weekend behind bars after she was arrested for allegedly of stealing copper cables.
Refilwe Motloung, a principal inspector, briefly appeared at the Standerton Magistrate Court on Friday following her arrest on Thursday.
Mpumalanga Hawks spokesperson, Captain Dineo Sekgotodi, said Motloung’s arrest comes after information was received from a delivery truck owner, who was responsible for transporting copper cables from Tutuka power station to Kriel power station, claiming that he was redirected to a farm.
“The team went to Standerton power station to locate the principal inspector who was working the night shift. The team proceeded to her residential address.
“During the arrest, a search was executed and an Eskom control register with a removal permit was found in her possession and it was seized.
“An Opel Corsa vehicle used to escort the truck carrying the copper cables and a cell phone were also seized and taken to Standerton police station for safe keeping,” said Sekgotodi.
Motloung has been charged with theft.
Her matter has been postponed to Thursday, October 10, 2024.
Sekgotodi said the case could be joined to the Evander case where two South Africans ,Thabo Dlamini ,30, Dumisani Njinga ,53, and two Mozambican nationals, Solomon Mlambo, 24, and Silas Sithole, 47, were found with copper cables stolen from Eskom.
The men are expected back in the Evander Magistrates Court on Monday, October 7, 2024.
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