“This nature and level of threats, therefore, demand that they focus on their personal safety and that of their families instead, distracting them from the critical task their jobs demand of them.”
Pillay said other Eskom executives had also been targeted in recent months.
“Safety and security risks inadvertently impose increased demands on the organisation to secure its resources. We are grateful to the Hawks for their successful investigations and efforts in tracing the suspect at a time when they have many other serious crimes demanding their focus and priority,” said Pillay.
Pillay said Eskom would provide the required support to police to help ensure the suspect is successfully prosecuted and a stiff sanction meted out as a favourable outcome would deter other would-be offenders.
A spokesperson for the Mpumalanga SAPS directed TimesLIVE to the Hawks for comment, which was not forthcoming at the time of publication. This story will be updated once received.
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Man arrested for 'targeting Eskom COO with bomb threat'
Image: Freddy Mavunda
A 27-year-old Mpumalanga man has been arrested for allegedly threatening Eskom COO Jan Oberholzer with a bomb.
The power utility said on Saturday that police swooped on the suspect on Friday. It said Oberholzer received a bomb threat from an unknown cellphone number in May and an investigation ensued.
“The internal security investigations team immediately lodged criminal charges on behalf of the Eskom group COO with the South African Police Service for investigation. It was also established that the suspect used an unregistered sim card to send the threatening message,” Eskom said.
Stage 5 load-shedding, plus a 32% tariff increase? Eskom's double whammy for consumers
The Hawks and investigators from Bidvest Protea Coin traced the man.
“The suspect was arrested by the South African Police Service in the Vosman area at eMalahleni, Mpumalanga. He remains in custody ahead of his court appearance next week,” the power utility said.
Advocate Karen Pillay, general manager of security at Eskom, said: “The targeting of Eskom executives and employees who are focused and hard at work during these difficult times is very disturbing. Such acts of criminality are malicious and Eskom takes them seriously.
Stage 5 load-shedding, plus a 32% tariff increase? Eskom's double whammy for consumers
“This nature and level of threats, therefore, demand that they focus on their personal safety and that of their families instead, distracting them from the critical task their jobs demand of them.”
Pillay said other Eskom executives had also been targeted in recent months.
“Safety and security risks inadvertently impose increased demands on the organisation to secure its resources. We are grateful to the Hawks for their successful investigations and efforts in tracing the suspect at a time when they have many other serious crimes demanding their focus and priority,” said Pillay.
Pillay said Eskom would provide the required support to police to help ensure the suspect is successfully prosecuted and a stiff sanction meted out as a favourable outcome would deter other would-be offenders.
A spokesperson for the Mpumalanga SAPS directed TimesLIVE to the Hawks for comment, which was not forthcoming at the time of publication. This story will be updated once received.
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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