Byline: Nonjabuliso Nhlambo

03 October 2024

Thabo Dlamini (30), Dumisani Njinga (53) both South Africans, Solomon Mlambo (24) and Silas Sithole (47) both Mozambicans were remanded in custody by the Evander Magistrates court on Wednesday, 2 October 2024.

Their appearance follows their arrest by a multi-disciplinary team comprising of the Hawks Serious Organised Crime Secunda, Serious Corruption Investigation Secunda, Priority Crime Specialised Investigation, Mpumalanga Provincial Traffic Officers, Secunda K9, Local Criminal Record Centre, Charlie Cilliers Visible Policing, Evander SAPS, Crime Intelligence Gathering, Eskom Security and Fidelity Security.

On Monday, 30 September 2024 at about 12h10, a Provincial Traffic Officer was on duty at Kinross weigh bridge when he stopped a Toyota Hilux double cab bakkie loaded with copper cables.

The officer directed the vehicle to the weigh bridge station. The driver of the bakkie decided to ignore the instruction of the officer and drove away.

The determined Traffic Officer gave chase and in the process, the driver lost control and the bakkie overturned. The Hawks based Serious Organised Crime Investigation were summoned to the scene.

On their arrival, the team interviewed the three African males who were transporting the stolen copper cables. They were arrested and their alibi led to the arrest of a 40 year old male who joined the other three. 

The team then followed up information which led them to a farm where an Eskom truck had dropped a consignment of copper cables. During investigation, it was discovered that copper cables were stripped and burnt.

During the search, more copper cables (stripped and unstripped) were recovered.The team proceeded to Tutuka Eskom Power station where the cables were stolen from.

The exhibits and the bakkie were seized and taken to Evander police station for safe keeping.

The four appeared in the Evander Magistrates court on Wednesday, 2 October 2024.

The case was postponed  to Monday, 7 October 2024 for verification of addresses.

The accused remains in custody.Investigation is continuing and more arrests are imminent