The City of Cape Town has documented a number of attacks on its employees, forcing it to abandon some projects, with a report indicating that extortion rackets continued to make demands, endangering the lives of contractors. The City is now offering a R500 reward for information leading to an arrest for extortion or criminal activity.
Also read: Reward offered following attack on urban mobility Mayco member
According to IOL, the City expressed concern about last Wednesday’s shooting on Democracy Way in Phoenix, Milnerton, which targeted Rob Quintas, the City’s Mayco member for urban mobility.
According to the City’s report, there were five attacks on city employees in May alone.
On 10 May, a construction worker was shot and killed in Delft while working on a road rehabilitation project, and a group of five men confronted and threatened a contractor working on street resurfacing in Mfuleni.
On 17 May, a contractor in charge of roadworks on Brooklyn’s Koeberg Road withdrew his workers and machinery due to gangsters demanding a protection fee and threatening workers. The project was also put on hold earlier this year when the contractor refused to pay the extortionists. Since then, two cases have been reported to Milnerton police, and the city has stated that it may be forced to abandon the project due to the risk to human lives.
On 14 May, a contractor was forced to halt work after a group of gangsters halted a project on Epping Avenue in Elsies River Industrial.
Quintas said, ‘I dare say we are now at a point where it has become nearly impossible to do our work without armed patrols.’
He explained that criminals demand protection money from the city and contractors, and because they refuse to pay, they are constantly threatened with attack, or machinery and assets are stolen, with many employees subjected to violence in the course of their duties.
He continued, ‘These syndicates and other criminals pose a serious threat to service delivery, not only in Cape Town but across the country.’
‘I am calling on the national police commissioner and the Minister of Police to do their duty and keep residents safe from thugs. This cannot continue. We will not be able to provide services if it puts the lives of staff and contractors in danger,’ Quintas concluded.
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Picture: City of Cape Town / Facebook