THREE City of Tshwane workers in court.
Sphiwe Mahlangu (45), from Soshanguve, Thomas Baloyi (41) from Pretoria North and Daniel Kubayi (50) from Hammanskraal appeared in the Atteridgeville Magistrate Court on Friday, 4 July 2025.
They're facing theft of essential infrastructure charges for stealing a transformer worth almost R7 million.
State prosecutor Grace Komame read the affidavit from investigating officer Sergeant Thabo Lukhele from the Gauteng Organised Crime.
"Allegations against accused Mahlangu is that on 26 November 2024, he went to the Claudius substation in Laudium and told the security guard that he was there to do maintenance. He was assembling a transformer that belonged to the City of Tshwane without permission. On 27 November 2024, that transformer was stolen and recovered on the R55 road, which is in transit to Middleburg in Mpumalanga," she said.
Komame that said the suspect wasn't authorised to work on the transformer valued at about R7 million.
She said Baloyi was one of the suspects and a Tshwane employee who were at the substation where the theft occurred.
"The tracking report of the City of Tshwane car that was driven by Baloyi placed him at the crime scene," she said.
Komane said the tracker report also placed Kubayi at the crime scene.
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"The state agrees that the accused co-operated with the police," she said.
During bail hearing arguments, lawyers representing the accused said their clients, when released on bail, will not interfere with witnesses.
Thabiso Mphahlele from Mphahlele Attorneys, representing Kubayi, said: "We made a substantive application to the court, stating our reasons why the accused should get bail."
Advocate Siyabulela Pendani, representing Baloyi, said: "The magistrate wants to check the case, which was admitted by the applicants, ascertain for herself in order for her to arrive at the decision whether to grant bail, or not. We will wait for judgment."
The case was postponed to Tuesday, 8 July 2025, for a bail judgment decision.
The suspects remain in custody.
