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Eskom withdraws services after worker threatened at gunpoint
SOUTH AFRICA
SOUTH Africa’s power utility Eskom has with- drawn its services in Sibangweni village in the Eastern Cape after villagers threatened one of its technicians at gunpoint, News24 reports.
According to the power utility, a criminal case was opened at the Mthatha Central police station after the employee was held at gunpoint in Sib- angweni on Saturday (August 6).
A team of Eskom’s technicians was dis- patched to the area to investigate suspicious energy losses, said Eskom. However, it was una- ble to conduct necessary operations in the village due to acts of intimidation.
“We recently had a situation where an Eskom employee was followed and threatened at gun- point by community members who demanded that the employee reconnects supply that he dis- connected due to tampering on the meter,” said Eskom spokesperson Themba Mtshaulana. “The matter was reported to the South African Police Service, and we are grateful that the employee escaped unharmed.”
Following the incident, Eskom ordered all its employees to withdraw from the Sibangweni with immediate effect. According to Mtshaulana, criminal behaviour directed at Eskom employ- ees and continued energy losses in the area are viewed as a business risk.
Eskom told News24 that a revenue loss of ZAR285mn ($17mn), caused by electricity theft in the Eastern Cape, had been recorded from April to June 2022. The loss did not include the cost of replacing vandalised material caused by illegal connections or meter tampering which are rife in the area.
Mtshaulana said routine work in areas where there are energy losses is Eskom’s responsibility and urged community members to report sus- pected illegal connections and meter tamper- ing. Eastern Cape police could not immediately confirm that an investigation was underway, said News24.™
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w w w . N E W S B A S E . c o m Week 32 11•August•2022