Construction mafia shuts down R550-million road project, a broken windscreen scam, and a new Toyota SUV coming to South Africa

These were the five biggest stories in South Africa’s transport industry this week.

Construction mafia shuts down R550-million road project in South Africa’s richest province

A road project in Gauteng valued at nearly R550 million has been put on hold following violent threats and attacks from local construction mafia groups.

The tender was awarded to LoneRock in early 2025 to revamp the Golden Highway bridge, which connects Johannesburg to Vanderbijlpark.

However, work on the project was halted after workers were harassed and attacked by mafia groups, taxi organizations, and local business owners, who all demanded a cut of the project’s funds.

New broken car windscreen scam in South Africa

The private security firm Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) has warned car owners of a new scam targeting people who want to replace their damaged or broken windscreens.

According to Rusa, the suspects typically loiter in the vicinity of autoglass businesses and approach customers walking onto the premises.

The criminals pose as staff, inspect the vehicle, and then take a payment with promises of fixing the windscreen, only for the victim to realize they’ve been scammed when they return to follow up on the fitment.

This Toyota SUV is twice as powerful as the Fortuner – And it’s coming to South Africa

Autogroup International has announced that plans to import the Toyota Sequoia to South Africa.

The Sequoia is a full-size SUV that is not officially on sale in our market, featuring a drivetrain far more powerful than anything we’ve seen before.

It shares the same platform as the Toyota Tundra bakkie, which is another American import model confirmed for South Africa.

Chery launches the most affordable hybrid SUV in South Africa

Chery has officially launched the new Tiggo Cross CSH in South Africa.

The CSH (Chery Super Hybrid) is available in two specifications, and prices start at R439,900.

This makes it the most affordable hybrid in the country, undercutting the Toyota Corolla Cross HEV by R54,500.

Impound warning for motorists in this South African city

The Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) has warned motorists that it is clamping down on unroadworthy cars.

The JMPD is conducting roadside inspections to uncover vehicles with one or more serious defects, such as non-functioning headlights, worn-out brakes, and cracked windscreens.

Any car that fails to adhere to road safety standards will be impounded, and owners will be required to repair the issues and acquire a new roadworthiness certificate to have their vehicle released.