Times Of Swaziland: HOW SOME RAILWAYS WORKERS STOLE FUEL, ENRICHED THEMSELVES

HOW SOME RAILWAYS WORKERS STOLE FUEL, ENRICHED THEMSELVES
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Kwanele Dlamini on 07/10/2024 08:58:00


MBABANE - They built shopping complexes, double-storey houses; bedsitters for
rental, bought different cars and vacant pieces of land using ill-gotten money.
Intensive investigations by Eswatini Railways (ESR) and the police have revealed
that some train drivers and petrol attendants accumulated massive wealth through
money obtained from the theft of diesel belonging to the company (ESR) and
trains from Transnet. Transnet is the largest and most crucial part of the
freight logistics chain that delivers goods in the Republic of South Africa. 
The theft reportedly began in 2018 and went undetected for over five years.  Per
the investigations, the theft was of such magnitude that the locomotives or
trains were emptied of all the fuel along the way. The problems of fuel theft at
ESR date back decades and are allegedly perpetrated by a well-orchestrated
clandestine group of ESR employees.
Implicated
It was found that the implicated employees were strategically placed into
certain positions (from petrol attendant to train driver) so that the theft of
fuel at the company was done with ease and regularity. As a result, the train
would be pulled with the use of alternative engines to the nearest station,
under the impression that it had developed mechanical faults yet it was
incapacitated by the siphoning of the diesel. During investigations, it was
revealed that members of the syndicate, consisting of the employees, received E5
000 to E15 000, being monies derived from the sale of the stolen fuel. One of
the implicated workers, who is said to have been the mastermind, is said to have
constructed 19 bedsitters, 10 of which are situated at KaShali in Manzini and
the others at Mpaka.
Purchased
Another implicated worker is said to have purchased different types of motor
vehicles and when investigators tried to trace them, they discovered that he had
sold them. As per the investigations, the organised criminal enterprise in the
theft of fuel from Eswatini Railways was cash-based and this was reportedly
revealed by some of the employees involved in the syndicate.Internal
investigation revealed that train drivers were siphoning fuel from both the
local locomotives as well as from Transnet trains. As a consequence, other train
drivers have been charged internally for theft of the fuel.  According to ESR,
investigations into its fuel management books revealed that proper records were
not kept and some books were not furnished.
Those that were furnished to investigators showed discrepancies on the recorded
information. The company is said to be currently reconciling fuel orders,
receipts and delivery notes from the Finance Department, from the financial year
2018-2023. Another modus modus operandi for stealing the fuel was that fuel
purchased by ESR would be partially delivered and the remaining quantity would
be taken to the illicit buyers.It was discovered that fuel discrepancies
resulting from the theft from ER trains would at times be masked by replacing
the fuel stolen from the railway company’s trains with fuel stolen from wagons
of Transet trains.
The State has since obtained an order to preserve movable and immovable
properties belonging to the suspects, through the Prevention of Organised Crimes
Act (POCA) of 2018.
ESR Cargo Assurance and Security Officer Cydwell Masuku deposed to an affidavit,
outlining how the theft of diesel was uncovered. Masuku first outlined that ESR
buys fuel (diesel and petrol) in bulk to fuel its locomotives as well as that of
Transnet trains.  He stated that the trains were fuelled at ESR’s fuel depot
at Mpaka Railway Station. His evidence was in the course of his duties, he
received information that fuel was being siphoned from both the depot, as well
as the locomotives.
Masuku said he reported the issue to his supervisors; being the director
operations and technical services as well as the chief executive officer (CEO).
He said police officers from the Lubombo Region were engaged and they confirmed
knowledge of the matter and that they were investigating cases involving Thulani
Bhembe and Ncamiso Makhubu. Masuku said it was agreed that certain train crews
should be monitored.  It is his evidence further that Makhubu was an employee of
ESR, who lived at Mpaka Village and also had a home close to Mpaka main road. He
said they got information that Makhubu had purchased a mini-truck, which was a
regular sight within Mpaka Village. Masuku submitted that on August 8, 2023,
they received information that Makhubu and his train assistant, Phila Shongwe,
had stopped at Lubhuku KM 135 and were illegally siphoning fuel from the
locomotive.
He said police from Mpaka were called and they duly set out to the site where
the train had stopped. It was his evidence that along the way, they came across
Makhubu’s mini-truck driving down the road. He said it was there that he
noticed 2x1 000 - litre tanks in the loading bin of the truck and they appeared
empty.  Masuku said they decided to abandon the trip to the railway line and
elected to monitor the movements of the mini-truck. He stated that it was not
until after about 90 minutes to two hours that he heard Makhubu over the
company’s radio, reporting to the train controller at Mpaka Railway Station
that the KM 135 train had developed mechanical problems. Masuku stated that
after a short while, he overhead Makhubu advising the train controller that he
would pull out the cargo using the other locomotive engine and permission had
been granted.
Masuku explained to the court that it was normal procedure that each load had
two locomotive engines to use.  He said with the police, they continued to
monitor the truck and at some point they were advised that it was seen at the
main road. He said they proceeded to the main road, where they found its driver,
Norman Nxumalo, detained together with the truck.