The Randfontein Herald reports that according to Ronel Kotze, the communications and stakeholder relations practitioner for Eskom’s Gauteng cluster,  the four accused appeared in the Randfontein Magistrate’s Court, one of the farmers was granted bail of R20 000 while the other three accused were each granted R10 000 bail.

They are all expected to return to court on March 31 for further proceedings.

Kotze said the case forms part of ongoing law-enforcement operations targeting electricity theft and the unlawful use of Eskom infrastructure in Gauteng. She emphasised that electricity theft, meter tampering and illegal transformer connections are criminal offences that endanger lives, damage infrastructure and threaten the sustainability of electricity supply.

“These activities result in significant financial losses and unfairly impact paying customers,” she said.

Kotze added that Eskom is working closely with law-enforcement agencies to investigate and act against those involved. Where Eskom employees are implicated, internal disciplinary processes will run concurrently with criminal proceedings, in line with governance and labour regulations.

Eskom reiterated its commitment to protecting the integrity of its network, ensuring accountability and safeguarding a reliable electricity supply.

“Our commitment to eliminating corruption within Eskom remains unwavering. The vast majority of our employees demonstrate integrity and dedication, and those who engage in wrongdoing will increasingly face investigation and action,” Kotze said.

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