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Eskom has announced the arrest of nine people at the Kusile Power Station for the alleged theft of coal as well as fraud.
The power utility's interim spokesperson, Daphne Mokoena, said those arrested included eight weighbridge operators employed by Eskom Rotek Industries and a coal truck driver.
She said this followed an investigation by the SAPS and an internal Eskom investigation team supported by a team from Bidvest Protea Coin Investigation.
"Investigations revealed that the weighbridge operators would process weighbridge transactions without the coal hauler having entered the power station to offload the coal. Kusile Power Station would, however, be invoiced for the coal ordered but not received," Mokoena said.
She said the nine were detained at the Phola police station and will appear in court once charged.
Mokoena said more arrests are expected to follow as the investigations continue.
"The theft of coal is a highly organised criminal activity, and the syndicates involved are being enriched through the proceeds derived from the illicit trade of the stolen products,' she said.
"Eskom commends the SAPS and all those involved in apprehending the suspects," Mokoena said.
