Man who threatened Eskom COO Jan Oberholzer with bomb granted R2,000 bail

An EFF branch chair from eMalahleni, Thapelo Mnisi, 27, was released on R2,000 bail by the Witbank magistrate's court on Monday on a charge of contravening the Explosives Act.

Mnisi from KwaGuqa, Witbank, was arrested on Friday, in connection with a bomb threat message he allegedly sent Eskom COO Jan Oberholzer in May this year.

According to spokesperson for the Hawks Lt Col Philani Nkwalase, the alleged bomb threat was preceded by reports of nepotism at Eskom, and when his complaint was not responded to, he launched an attack on the COO.

“He was part of a group of people from KwaGuqa who were trained as boilermakers at Kusile power station by a company contracted to Eskom. The group was allegedly promised to be absorbed through permanent employment opportunities in the organisation. However, upon qualifying as boilermakers, they were only called to work on a casual basis,” Nkwalase said. 

He said Mnisi and his group were enraged when they were not hired and found out about other people who were allegedly employed while they were excluded.

Nkwalase said the bomb threat was reported to the police and was assigned to the Hawks' Crime Against The State team for further handling.

Mnisi's case has been postponed to January 17.

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