Thapelo Mnisi was trained as a boilermaker at the Kusile Power Station. Picture: Oupa Mokoena/African News Agency (ANA)
THE WITBANK Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga has granted bail to a man accused of sending a bomb threat to an Eskom executive.
Thapelo Mnisi, 27, from KwaGuqa, is the chairperson of the local EFF branch in Witbank and was released on R2,000 bail.
Mnisi faces a charge of contravening the South African Explosives Act 15 of 2003.
This comes after his arrest on November 18 by members of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (Hawks).
According to the spokesperson for the Hawks, Lieutenant-Colonel Philani Nkwalase, Mnisi allegedly sent a bomb threat message to the chief operations officer (COO) of Eskom, Jan Oberholzer, in May.
“The alleged bomb threat message was preceded by reports of nepotism at Eskom and when his complaint was not responded to, he launched an attack on the COO,” Nkwalase said.
“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 further information alleged that 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.
“The bomb threat was reported to the police and was assigned to the Hawks’ Crime Against The State team for further handling. The accused was arrested on Friday, November 18, 2022, during an operation by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team assisted by Bidvest Protea Coin Security,” Nkwalase said.
According to the power utility, Mnisi allegedly used an unregistered SIM card to send the threatening message.
“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,” advocate Karen Pillay, general manager of security at Eskom, said on Saturday.
“This nature and level of threats therefore demands that they focus on their personal safety and that of their families instead, distracting them form the critical task their jobs demand of them,” she said.
Pillay said other Eskom executives have 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 head office team 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,” she said.
The matter against Mnisi has been postponed until January 17.