Fifth suspect arrested for City of Tshwane transformer theft

A fifth suspect believed to be part of a syndicate involved in the theft of a transformer worth R7 million at a substation in the City of Tshwane has been arrested.

The man was handcuffed on Sunday after he handed himself over to the police.

Arrests

This brings the number of suspects arrested for the theft of the transformer to five.

Police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said the investigation revealed that the suspect was the potential buyer for the stolen transformer, and a warrant of arrest was issued for him.

“He is expected to make his first court appearance on 07 July 2025 at Atteridgeville court,” stated Nevhuhulwi.

Last week, three municipal workers allegedly involved in the theft of a transformer from the Laudium substation were arrested.

The fourth suspect was arrested on June 27, 2025.

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Court

Siphiwe Mahlangu (45), Thomas Baloyi (41) and Daniel Kubayi (50), who are all City of Tshwane employees, appeared in the Atteridgeville Magistrates Court for a formal bail application.

The trio are facing charges of theft of essential infrastructure and will remain in custody pending their next court appearance on 8 July.

Investigation

Nevhuhulwi said a thorough investigation by Gauteng Organised Crime Unit led to the arrest of three employees from City of Tshwane Municipality last week.

“Their arrest follows an ongoing investigation which started last year November, where 11 suspects were initially arrested for stealing a transformer at Laudium substation worth approximately R7 million.

“The 10 suspects who were sub contractors were released after they could not be linked to the crime and one who is an employee of the municipality remained behind bars and has since made several court appearance and is currently remanded in custody until 8 August,” Nevhuhulwi said.

Praise

Tshwane District Commissioner Major General Samuel Thine commended the team for their ongoing efforts to deal with this crime.

The police stated that they will continue to work diligently to dismantle the syndicates that target essential infrastructure and related crimes, as this has a detrimental impact on the country’s economy.

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