'Intelligence' led to army's deployment at Eskom power stations

State intelligence has informed the seemingly drastic decision to deploy the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to Eskom power plants amid possible threats to the country's national energy grid.

SANDF spokesperson, Brigadier General Andries Mokoena Mahapa, told News24 on Monday that the army was acting in support of the South African Police Service (SAPS), with the State Security Agency (SSA) also playing a role in providing intelligence.

"There is no way there can be any deployment without it being informed by intelligence," Mahapa said. "You need to know where to go, what the triggers are, what to prevent in future - those are the concepts that we follow as a military. All operations are being led by intelligence."