Eskom maintenance worker arrested for sabotage at Camden power station
A contractor working at Eskom's Camden power station in Mpumalanga was arrested on Tuesday after he was positively linked to an incident of sabotage.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the power utility's Karen Pillay said the arrest follows an investigation by the Eskom team.
The utility says the contractor was employed by a maintenance company working at the power station.
It was found that the worker intentionally removed the bearing oil drain plug from the bearing causing the oil burners to trip repeatedly.
"This malicious act caused all the oil to drain out from the bearing, thus damaging the bearing which, in turn, prevented the mills from operating optimally. Camden Unit 4 subsequently tripped after losing all the mills," says Pillay.
"The evidence obtained and the confession made by the perpetrator revealed the plug was intentionally removed to cause the trip.”
Pillay says the aim was to ensure that his employer is awarded additional maintenance and repair jobs at the power station.
“It is disheartening to find that some of our contractors are unscrupulous, have malicious intent and are willing to plunge the country into further loadshedding at a time when the electricity grid is highly constrained.”
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