Police on truck driver and Eskom employee arrested for heavy fuel oil theft worth R1 million

20 July 2023

An Eskom employee and a female truck driver have appeared before the Kriel Magistrate’s court on a charge of theft and fraud.

It’s alleged the pair worked together to defraud Eskom.

36-year-old Sphiwe Sindane an Eskom employee and 41- year-old Loveless Mabaso, a truck driver attached to a company subcontracted to supply heavy fuel oil to Eskom were arrested on Wednesday, 19 July 2023, for failing to deliver heavy fuel oil that was meant to be delivered to the Matla Power Station in Mpumalanga.

It’s alleged that the pair sold and delivered the fuel oil to someone known to them and later submitted a fraudulent invoice to Eskom claiming to have delivered the fuel. Eskom suffered a loss of one-million-rand.

According to Eskom, heavy fuel oil is instrumental in electricty production.

An investigation by the Priority Committee on security energy led to the pair’s arrest.

Since its establishment by the National Commissioner of the SAPS, General Fannie Masemola on 01 April 2022 to date, the priority committee is currently investigating 1586 Eskom related cases. 126 arrests have been made thus far. R1 billion of items have been recovered thus far which include 42 firearms, 83 x loads of coal by 33 ton trucks and mining machinery.

Issued by Athlenda Mathe, SAPS, 21 July 2023