The man posed as an Eskom contractor in the Eastern Cape. (Netwerk24/William Horne)
A man has been sentenced to five years in prison for tampering with Eskom infrastructure and illegally connecting households to its electricity supply. The man, John Tazvivinga, falsely claimed to be an Eskom contractor in Marhambeni, Mthatha, causing a loss of R231,000 to Eskom. His former consultant company, Inkitha Royal Empire Construction, was also fined R10,000.
Eskom’s general manager for security, Botse Skihwitshi, expressed gratitude for the collaborative efforts that led to the conviction. While the sentence may not be as severe as hoped, it serves as a warning to potential criminals. Skihwitshi emphasized that tampering with critical infrastructure could result in a maximum prison sentence of 30 years. Convictions for Eskom-related crimes have doubled in the 2023/24 financial year compared to the previous year.