“Guardrail Mafia” caught stealing R500 million road infrastructure in South Africa

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport has called for investigations into the “Guardrail Mafia”, a syndicate behind the theft of road infrastructure and contracts worth R500 million to replace it.

This comes after a suspected kingpin was arrested by a specialised security team and the South African Police Service (SAPS) Organised Crime Unit.

According to KwaZulu-Natal Transport and Human Settlements MEC, Siboniso Duma, the owner of a warehouse was identified by his runners, who were caught removing guardrails and arrested.

Two suspects arrested in connection with the removal and theft of guardrails already appeared in court. Their formal bail application was postponed to 23 September 2026.

“This marks the beginning of the dismantling of the largest heartless criminal syndicate behind the deaths of innocent people,” the MEC said at the time of the arrest.

“Our Road Traffic Inspectorate team regularly responds to horrific rollover accidents, especially those that occur after out-of-control vehicles slide down embankments.”

The MEC noted that the removal of millions of rands’ worth of guardrails along the province’s various road networks has resulted in the death of innocent road users.

Over the years, the province has spent more than R500 million to erect and maintain guardrails across its 34,000km road network.

These guardrails and their end terminals are engineered to absorb the kinetic energy generated by a moving vehicle travelling at speed.

Videos posted on social media show sections of the R617 road near Kokstad without guardrails to protect motorists from going over a sharp cliff should they lose control of their vehicle.

“We are now using the Presidential Proclamation R156 of 2024 to undertake more investigations to determine any link between the Guardrail Mafia and employees of the Department of Transport,” declared Duma.

This will allow deeper investigations by the Hawks, Special Investigating Unit, and Asset Forfeiture Unit to probe links between the kingpin, the tow truck industry, departmental staff and companies awarded contracts.

South Africa plagued by road infrastructure mafias

Earlier this year, construction resumed along the R553 Golden Highway in Gauteng and is progressing in line with the approved timelines, despite being targeted by construction mafias.

The R550 million project was first awarded to LoneRock in early 2025 and entails upgrading the Golden Highway bridge, connecting Johannesburg to Vanderbijlpark, from the R558 intersection and beyond the M68 intersection.

Since then, work on the road has been interrupted several times, with construction mafias shutting down the project and resorting to assaulting and shooting at LoneRock employees.

Details of the attacks were disclosed in an affidavit filed at the Pretoria High Court in June 2025 by the company’s Director, Godfrey Mokabane.

Beyond details of the attacks, the affidavit noted that local taxi organisations had demanded money from the company after the tender was appointed.

In his submission, Mokabane told the court that he had met with local business members, taxi associations, politicians, and organisations, all of whom wanted a cut of the project’s funds.

This followed nearly 100 incidents of attempted extortion recorded by the City of Cape Town between January 2023 and February 2024.

The Safety and Security Investigation Unit, which monitors incidents linked to the intimidation of public representatives and city contractors, tracked the cases.

Among these were road projects aimed at repairing the city’s road network and the construction of new transport infrastructure.

Intimidation tactics included attempted murder, murder, and arson at roadworks in Delft, the construction of MyCiti infrastructure on Spine Road, and the building of the Lentegeur pedestrian bridge.

Other targeted roadwork projects include those along Bishop Lavis and Edward Street, road improvements in Brooklyn, and a roundabout on Walter Sisulu, which were also met with extortion demands.

Photos of KwaZulu-Natal’s “Guardrail Mafia” takedown