Latest news with #Laudium
News24
2 days ago
- News24
Three City of Tshwane officials appear in court over R7m transformer theft
Three City of Tshwane officials were arrested for their alleged role in a transformer theft at Laudium's Claudius substation. The crime syndicate allegedly used municipal vehicles and cranes, but failed to provide proper work authorisation when confronted in November 2024. The case has been postponed to Friday for a bail application. Three City of Tshwane officials accused of stealing a transformer worth R7 million appeared in the Atteridgeville Magistrate's Court on Wednesday. Sphiwe Mahlangu, 45, from Soshanguve, Thomas Baloi, 41, from Pretoria North, and Daniel Kubayi, 50, from Hammanskraal, are facing charges of theft of essential infrastructure. The three were arrested on Tuesday following a police investigation into a crime syndicate that reportedly began operating in November 2024. This syndicate allegedly stole a transformer worth R7 million from a Laudium substation. According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), on the afternoon of 7 November 2024, the Tshwane Metro Police Department and police received a tip-off about a theft taking place at the Claudius substation in Laudium. 'When they arrived at the scene, they found cranes, trucks, and a City of Tshwane-marked truck at the substation,' said NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana. 'When the police requested proof of work authorisation and it could not be produced, 11 people were arrested on the scene, and 10 were later released from police custody.' According to the police, the 10 people released were subcontractors who could not be linked to the crime. The 11th person, Madimetja Jacob Malebane, 38, a City of Tshwane official, appeared in the Atteridgeville Magistrate's Court on 28 November 2024. He has since been released on bail. Mahanjana stated that police investigations revealed Mahlangu, Baloi, and Kubayi allegedly left the scene before the police arrived. The police issued warrants of arrest, and the three accused were apprehended at their workplaces on Tuesday. The matter was postponed to Friday for a bail application.
IOL News
3 days ago
- IOL News
Three Tshwane municipal employees arrested for R7 million transformer theft
Three City of Tshwane municipal employees were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly stealing a R7 million transformer from the Laudium electricity substation in Pretoria. Image: Supplied The SAPS in Gauteng arrested three City of Tshwane municipal employees on Tuesday morning for allegedly stealing a R7 million transformer from the Laudium electricity substation. The arrest is part of an ongoing investigation that started in November 2024, in which 11 suspects were initially arrested. Of those, 10 suspects were subcontractors and released due to a lack of evidence, while one municipal worker remains in custody and is scheduled for a court appearance on August 8, 2025. Tshwane District Commissioner Samuel Thine said an investigation by the Gauteng Organised Crime Unit resulted in the arrest of three employees. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading The suspects will face charges of theft of essential infrastructure and are due to appear in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Wednesday. "We are making inroads because essential infrastructure theft, as we know, cripples the economy of the country. It also cripples the households, where we run into a shortage of electricity, where this infrastructure is supposed to be taken to the right places, they are transferred somewhere else, in terms of thefts," he said. Thine said transformer theft was not a new occurrence in the metro, adding that while this case involving a large sum was specific to Tshwane, smaller transformer thefts had been reported in other areas. He added that more arrests are expected as investigations continue. City spokesperson Lindela Mashigo confirmed that the SAPS had arrested three municipal workers in connection with the attempted theft and vandalism of transformers at the Claudius substation in Laudium, which occurred last year. He said the arrested individuals are reportedly employees linked to the incident, which severely compromised the city's power infrastructure and security. "The city welcomes this development and commends the SAPS for their swift and decisive action. Criminal acts such as theft and sabotage not only endanger public safety but also place unnecessary strain on municipal resources and disrupt essential services," Mashigo said. He said the arrests represent an important step towards ensuring accountability and deterrence. "Our residents deserve uninterrupted services and infrastructure that is secure from deliberate damage and sabotage. As the matter is now being handled within the justice, crime prevention, and security cluster, the city will refrain from further comment at this stage to avoid compromising ongoing investigations," he said.
