City of Tshwane lauds arrest of municipal workers over theft of R7m transformer

JOHANNESBURG - The City of Tshwane said that the arrest of three municipal workers over the theft of a transformer worth R7 million was a clear sign of its zero-tolerance stance on corruption and misconduct.

Tuesday's arrests at the Pretoria electricity depot are connected to 11 others made in November last year, all linked to the same transformer theft at the Laudium substation.

One of the 11 suspects arrested last year was employed by the City of Tshwane, while ten others were contractors.

However, the contractors were released due to insufficient evidence following an investigation.

READ: Police in Tshwane arrest 3 municipal workers for theft of R7 million transformer

The City of Tshwane said the theft of this transformer had severely compromised the security of the city's power infrastructure.

"These arrests represent an important step towards ensuring accountability and deterrence. Tshwane remains committed to working closely with law enforcement and security agencies to safeguard its critical infrastructure," said the city's spokesperson, Lindela Mashigo.

The three municipal workers will appear at the Pretoria Magistrates Court on Wednesday on charges of theft of infrastructure.