Three municipal officials from the City of Tshwane have been arrested for stealing a transformer worth an estimated R7 million from the Laudium substation. The officials, aged between 30 and 40, were apprehended on Tuesday morning, and a fourth suspect is expected to hand himself over to the police.
According to Major General Samuel Thine, police spokesperson, the theft of essential infrastructure has a crippling effect on the economy and households in Tshwane. "We are sending a message to all officials involved in the stealing of essential infrastructure that the law is on their heels," he added, hinting at potential further arrests.
This recent arrest is linked to a previous incident in November 2024, where a massive attempted theft of transformers was foiled by members of the Councillor's Office, Laudium Disaster Management and the Laudium CPF at the Claudius Substation in Laudium. The community's vigilance led to the arrest of several suspects, including a Tshwane employee, and the recovery of stolen equipment.
The City of Tshwane has been plagued by cable theft syndicates, with the metro losing billions of rand due to theft and vandalism of infrastructure. The police are working to uncover the extent of internal involvement and take decisive action against those responsible.
