Several infrastructure projects in Johannesburg are being sabotaged by criminal organizations using violence and intimidation tactics.
The problem has become so widespread that councilors along the metro are warning that parts of the region are virtually ungovernable.
Former borough councilor Lucinda Herman recently spoke on 702 about her experiences that ultimately led to her resignation.
One of the most worrying aspects she highlighted was how dangerous the job has become as a ward councilor has been killed for standing up to these criminals.
Herman said he was shocked that the media had no idea how many lawmakers were killed because his attendance at vigils had become so frequent.
The management of the city has become extremely sloppy, governance has deteriorated severely, and threats to the lives of councilors have been ignored.
“Everything is falling on deaf ears and no one is ready to take action because everything is falling apart,” she said.
Herman received such threats many times, and the role began to take a toll on her mental and physical health, leading to her resigning and being hospitalized for two weeks.
“My job as a ward councilor has become impossible. I am tired of the intimidation, the dysfunction and the constant intimidation,” she said.
She pointed out that the biggest danger is the construction mafia. Construction mafia is a term used to describe criminal organizations that blackmail workers on infrastructure projects in order to demand “protection payments.”
“Wherever there are projects, there’s the greatest risk of MPs being killed,” she says.
Mr Harman’s wards include Bryanston, Willow Wilde, Randburg CBD and Blairgowrie, with the latter two being the most severely affected.
“If there is a project in an area, the city councilor is at risk of being killed, and the construction mafia is behind it.”
He added that “hostile political parties are involved in this project”, exacerbating the problem.
Known issues
Herman said that despite raising the alarm several times about the construction mafia, he was met with silence.
Even after holding an all-hands meeting regarding the safety of members, no results were obtained.
“We were told over and over on the phone to be careful. If the project doesn’t go the way we want, we’ll come for you. If you don’t follow our rules, you better be careful.”
She said these calls always come at moments that cannot be recorded, but she knows exactly who the culprit is.
“The local police refused to help me. I ended up going to the state police, who were supposed to refer me to the Hawks, but that never happened,” she said.
“I don’t think anyone is taking it seriously…Everyone just thinks they have to stay quiet and get on with their jobs.”
Construction mafia cancels R550 million road project
One of the most high-profile cases of 2025 occurred in June when it was revealed that the construction mafia had halted a R550-million project.
The tender, valued at R548,612,770, was awarded to Lone Rock in early 2025 for the upgrade of the Golden Highway Bridge between Johannesburg and Vanderbijlpark.
However, the company was forced to pause construction after employees were shot and physically assaulted.
Director Godfrey Mokabane claimed that a local taxi organization demanded money from Lonerock after it was nominated to bid.
He told the Pretoria High Court that he had met with local business members, taxi associations, politicians and organizations seeking to reduce funding for regeneration projects.
In an earlier meeting with Gauteng Department of Transport MEC Kediborn Diare Traveler and the Taxi Association, the Department of Transport suggested that Lone Rock should rely on taxis to transport its employees.
However, Lone Rock refused to accept this proposal.
When work on the ground began, the company said it would ask for a “first month’s payment” from taxi operators and would receive this money “regardless of whether the service is used or not.”
This problem is not unique to Johannesburg; other large cities, such as the city of Cape Town, have experienced similar problems with the construction mafia.
