This after a coal-loaded truck was spotted by the Eskom Group Security Investigation’s tactical team entering a coal yard in Middelburg.

“The truck left the coal yard after about an hour and the members followed it as it then drove to Arnot Power Station. On arrival at Arnot Power Station, the truck joined the queue to offload coal. The Eskom Group Security Investigations team checked and discovered that the coal was discarded coal containing stones, which confirmed suspected coal swapping witnessed earlier at the Middleburg coal yard,” Eskom said in a statement.

According to the power utility, the truck driver was questioned and admitted to selling the coal for R6000.

Eskom Acting General Manager for Security, Botse Sikhwitshi, praised the team for its work.
“There is tangible evidence to ensure successful prosecution of the suspect,” Sikhwitshi says.

“The delivery of poor quality coal often leads to unit breakdowns and cannot be tolerated. We hope the perpetrator, once convicted, faces the harshest possible sentence,” he concluded.

• Carte Blanche recently implicated a local mining company owner with involvement with coal swapping, though the staged transaction for a full load of top quality coal to the businessman’s coal yard, did not materialize.

The businessman denied any involvement in the growing coal theft, and coal swapping crimes.