Construction mafia halts R550m highway project in Gauteng

A major infrastructure project in Gauteng, South Africa’s economic powerhouse, has been violently derailed by what officials are calling a “construction mafia”, a network of extortionists exploiting public contracts under the guise of community empowerment.

Valued at over R548 million, the ambitious plan to revamp the Golden Highway Bridge, a critical link between Johannesburg and Vanderbijlpark, has been indefinitely suspended. The project, awarded to LoneRock Construction in early 2025, is the latest casualty in a growing national crisis of organised criminal interference in development projects.

“This is not just about a road being blocked,” said Godfrey Mokabane, director at LoneRock, in a sworn affidavit to the Pretoria High Court. “This is about the state losing its authority on its own soil. Our employees have been assaulted, shot at, and harassed. We’re not just battling potholes — we’re battling extortion.”

According to Mokabane, local taxi associations, self-identified civic organisations, and even elected officials have repeatedly demanded a cut of the project’s funds or insisted on being subcontracted, despite having no formal stake in the project. When LoneRock refused to yield, the threats turned into violence.

In March alone, eight separate incidents of intimidation and obstruction were reported. A mechanic on-site was shot and pistol-whipped. By April, the company had recorded another four incidents, with workers repeatedly blocked from accessing the site.

LoneRock’s site foreman, Jan Greef, reported that the South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) approached the project team demanding consultation before any further work could resume. Around the same time, local taxi operators stormed the construction zone, demanding “the first month’s payment,” threatening to collect whether their services were needed or not.

Mokabane’s affidavit paints a chilling picture of collusion and chaos: ward councillors allegedly instructing police officers to leave security meetings, politicians refusing to protect contractors, and a municipal chief whip previously jailed for defying a court protection order.

A national pattern of infrastructure extortion

The Golden Highway incident is not isolated. South Africa’s construction mafia has entrenched itself in multiple provinces, especially Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape, exploiting government efforts to stimulate the economy through infrastructure renewal.

Between 2018 and 2024, at least four major road upgrades were disrupted across the country, according to Transport Minister Barbara Creecy. Smaller projects like pothole repairs have also been attacked by local figures claiming entitlement to contracts or payouts.

In Cape Town, the MyCiti bus expansion was temporarily derailed after gangs tried to extort tenders in Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain. In response, the city no longer discloses tender values to avoid turning contractors into targets.

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, during his March 2025 Budget Speech, issued a stark warning: “These are not random outbursts. This is organised extortion, a mafia targeting South Africa’s backbone; its infrastructure.”

To tackle this, Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson introduced the Durban Declaration, signed with the National Treasury and SAPS in November 2024. The framework mandates the deployment of specialised police units and procurement law reforms to protect public infrastructure.

“The Durban Declaration is not just paperwork,” said Macpherson’s spokesperson, James de Villiers. “It’s a plan to restore law, order, and investor confidence. Because every stalled bridge, every sabotaged project, costs this country far more than money, it costs lives, jobs, and hope.”

Citizens pay the price

While officials strategise and contractors plead for protection, it is ordinary South Africans who suffer most. The Golden Highway is a key economic artery. Its deterioration hampers logistics, increases commuting times, and jeopardises public safety.

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