The bail hearing of two suspects accused of stealing roadside safety infrastructure in KwaZulu-Natal has been postponed to November 10.
The pair appeared briefly in the KwaDukuza Magistrate’s Court on Monday, October 26, where their lawyer requested more time to consult them. They face charges of theft and tampering with critical infrastructure following their arrests in August.
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport and Human Settlements Siboniso Duma said the arrests follow an intelligence-driven operation involving the South African Police Service Organised Crime Unit and the department’s specialised security team.
Investigators arrested a suspected “runner” in Inanda before following leads to an industrial site in Jacobs, Durban, where the second suspect was arrested. Duma has described the second suspect as the alleged mastermind.
He said the state intends to oppose bail.
The theft of guardrails undermines road safety by removing barriers designed to reduce the severity of crashes. Duma said more than R500 million has been invested over the years in erecting and maintaining guardrails across the province’s road network.
He said Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Mmamoloko Kubayi has deployed a National Prosecuting Authority team to handle the case.
The department is also considering seeking a presidential proclamation to enable a Special Investigating Unit probe into possible links between the alleged syndicate and departmental employees.
“We want to bring in the Special Investigating Unit to investigate any possible links between members of the guardrail mafia and staff members within the department,” Duma said.
