Eskom COO Jan Oberholzer. Screengrab: Eskom Official Youtube channel
RUSTENBURG - A 27-year-old man was arrested in connection with bomb threats directed to Eskom group chief operating officer Jan Oberholzer.
The man was arrested on Friday, in Vosman, Mpumalanga.
According to the power utility, in May 2022 Oberholzer received a bomb threat from an unknown cellphone number.
The internal security investigations team immediately brought criminal charges on behalf of its executive with the SAPS for investigation.
It was also established that the suspect used an unregistered SIM card to send the threatening message, and Eskom said there was overwhelming evidence linking him to the crime.
"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 in a statement issued 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.”
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.
Pillay said Eskom would provide the required support to the police to help ensure the suspect was successfully prosecuted and that a stiff sanction was meted out, as a favourable outcome would serve to deter other would-be offenders.
The man is expected to appear in court this coming week.