It is alleged that in December 2025, a case of theft was reported by a complainant at Nkandla Police Station. In January 2026, the same complainant opened another case at Newark Police Station relating to the use of property without the owner’s consent.

The cases were later linked to the theft of heavy duty construction machines from a construction site in Nkandla. It was subsequently discovered that the same machines were being used in Newark.

KwaZulu Natal SAPS spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Paul Magwaza said members of the Provincial Reaction Unit and the Empangeni Vehicle Crime Investigation Unit received information about the location where the machines were being stored and utilised.

“On Tuesday, 17 February 2026, an operation was conducted at a quarry in Newark where two excavators and one TLB machine were recovered. The recovered property is estimated to be valued at R50 million. The suspect was not present during the operation and remained at large,” said Magwaza.

He added that on Saturday, 21 March 2026, the complainant opened additional cases at Kombe Police Station including extortion, theft of a motor vehicle and using property without the owner’s consent. These cases relate to the theft of a truck from a construction site as well as alleged demands for money from the complainant.

“The suspect in this matter is the same individual linked to the Nkandla and Newark cases,” Magwaza confirmed.

Following further investigations and tracing operations, the suspect was arrested at Ekombe by members of the Empangeni Public Order Police. A truck was also recovered during the arrest.

The suspect has been charged with theft, extortion, possession of suspected stolen property and using property without the owner’s consent. He is expected to appear before the Nkandla Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 24 March 2026.

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Free State Policespokesperson Capt Loraine Earle said it was on Wednesday, 18 June 2025 at approximately 19:00, members of Platoon 5 acted on intelligence received from one of their members regarding a house in Doorn suspected of storing stolen property. Upon arrival at the identified premises, two Eskom transformers as well as Eskom and Matjhabeng Local Municipality copper cables were discovered on site.

Officials from both Eskom and Matjhabeng were summoned to the scene and positively identified the items as property belonging to their respective institutions. The estimated value of the recovered equipment is approximately R110 000.

A case of possession of suspected stolen property has been opened and the suspect will appear in court soon.

Investigations are continuing.

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According to the Free State Hawks Spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Zweli Mohobeleli the operation was conducted on Tuesday, 20 May 2025 at a plot on the outskirts of Bloemfontein. Serious Organised Crime Investigation detectives had approached the court for a search warrant after learning about a warehouse on the plot where the loot was being stored. Upon searching the premises, they found different voltage transformers, rolls of copper cable, and several loose items including electricity meter boxes. Eskom officials positively identified the property.

Free State Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), Major General Mokgadi Bokaba, says work to bring those responsible for the theft to book has started. “We will leave no stone unturned in ensuring the protection of essential infrastructure,” she said.

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