Shongwe was employed as an Eskom subcontractor and was found guilty of removing plugs which caused a generator to trip.
Simeon Shongwe has been sentenced to a combined 35 years in prison for his role in sabotage at a large power station.
Shongwe was arrested in November 2022 after investigators implicated him in a deliberate act of destruction that caused damage worth an estimated R22.7 million.
He was sentenced to two concurrent terms by the Ermelo District Court on Monday, with the longer of the two sentences amounting to 20 years.
Deliberate tripping of generator
Eskom’s Camden power station suffered a widespread infrastructural failure on 10 November 2022.
Within a week Shongwe had been arrested and was initially released on R6 000 bail.
The National Prosecuting Authority said at the time that “someone had removed drain plugs from the main bearing at the unit, resulting in the shaft overheating and tripping the generator”.
The Hawks’ Secunda-based Serious Organised Crime unit investigated the matter as Shongwe made multiple appearances in court.
“Tampering with essential infrastructure has been a national problem and has a negative impact on service delivery to members of the public,” Mpumalanga Hawks boss Major-General Nico Gerber said.
“Eskom has been plagued by the sabotage, and this conviction and sentence must serve as a strong warning to those implicated in such despicable acts.”
Sentences concurrent
Shongwe on Monday received a 15-year sentence for theft and a 20-year sentence for tampering with essential infrastructure.
The court ordered the sentences to run concurrently, leaving the 46 year old with a maximum 20 years in jail.
“We really welcome the sentence and appreciate the excellent work by the investigation team and prosecution,” Gerber said.
Eskom said last April that general infrastructure vandalism losses had declined from previous years, down to R221 million from R271 million the previous year.
“Despite this improvement, the issue demands ongoing vigilance and proactive community involvement,” Eskom said.
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