In a significant crackdown on crimes against the national power grid, the South African government has arrested at least 25 individuals in connection with sabotage, theft, and fraud at Eskom.

The move comes as the country continues to struggle with power outages, with the government announcing that it has deployed soldiers to various power stations in an effort to improve security and prevent further incidents of sabotage.

The arrests are part of a wider effort by the government to address the ongoing challenges facing the power utility, with officials announcing that work is underway to improve the performance of several power stations in an effort to reduce the frequency and duration of blackouts.

According to the Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan, “The sabotage of our power stations is not only a criminal act but it also undermines the efforts of the government to keep the lights on and to keep the economy moving.” He went on to say that “those who seek to disrupt the power supply will be dealt with in the strongest possible terms.”

The government has also called on citizens to report any suspicious activity at power stations and to work together to protect the country’s critical infrastructure.

The arrests and deployments of soldiers at the power stations are seen as a positive step towards improving the security of the national power grid, and a sign that the government is taking the issue of power outages seriously. However, it remains to be seen how effective these measures will be in addressing the underlying issues that have led to the current power crisis, and whether they will be sufficient to restore stability to the grid and prevent future blackouts.