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Eyewitness News
8 hours ago
- Eyewitness News
Second accused in Tshwane transformer theft denies involvement, says device was old
JOHANNESBURG - The second accused in the transformer theft denies being involved, saying the device was old and disused. Three City of Tshwane officials were arrested this week in connection with the theft of the R7 million transformer that was taken from a Laudium substation. Thomas Baloyi and his two co-accused appeared in the Atteridgeville Magistrates Court on Friday. READ: Suspect in City of Tshwane transformer theft case plans to plead not guilty Baloyi told the court he could prove he was not involved in the crime and wanted to be released on bail. Advocate Siyabulela Pendani read a statement from his client. "The transformer that is said that I have tampered with is a 1976 transformer, which is disused and was discarded. I will prove to the court that I have never tampered or seek to steal essential infrastructure, and I was on duty on the said day as an employee of the City of Tshwane."
IOL News
3 days ago
- IOL News
Case of Tshwane workers linked to R7 million transformer theft postponed
The case of three City of Tshwane municipal workers, who appeared at the Atteridgeville Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, has been postponed to Friday for a bail application. The accused were arrested this week by the SAPS, who linked them to a transformer theft case from last year as part of an ongoing investigation. Image: Supplied The case of the three City of Tshwane municipal workers arrested on Tuesday for allegedly stealing a transformer worth around R7 million at the Laudium electricity substation has been postponed to Friday for a formal bail application. The suspects appeared in the Atteridgeville Magistrate's Court on Wednesday after being arrested by the SAPS as part of an ongoing investigation linking them to the theft of a transformer last year. The trio, Sphiwe Mahlangu, 45, Thomas Baloyi, 41, and Daniel Kubayi, 50, appeared in court on charges of theft of essential infrastructure and will remain in custody pending their next court appearance. The SAPS in Gauteng reported that the arrest is part of an ongoing investigation launched in November 2024, which initially led to the arrest of 11 suspects. 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 Of these, 10 subcontractors were released due to a lack of evidence, while one municipal worker remains in custody and is set to appear in court on August 8, 2025. The Gauteng Organised Crime Unit's investigation led to the arrest of three municipal employees, according to police. They also said transformer theft is not a new issue in the metro, and while this case involves a large sum specific to Tshwane, smaller transformer thefts have been reported elsewhere. Police expect more arrests as investigations continue. Tshwane district Commissioner, Major General Samuel Thine, said police are making progress because theft of essential infrastructure cripples the country's economy and affects households, leading to electricity shortages when the infrastructure is stolen and diverted. The city said the arrested individuals are employees linked to the incident, which significantly compromised the power infrastructure and security. Municipal spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the arrests are a crucial step towards accountability and deterrence, emphasising that residents deserve uninterrupted services and infrastructure protected from deliberate damage and sabotage.
