KwaZulu-Natal Transport and Human Settlements MEC Siboniso Duma has ordered a forensic investigation into the awarding of guardrail contracts following arrests linked to infrastructure theft across the province’s road network.
The investigation will examine possible links between departmental officials and what Duma described as the “guardrail mafia”.
The department was also considering involving the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, and the Special Investigating Unit under Presidential Proclamation R156 of 2024, Duma said this week.
“Following the arrest of a runner who was caught removing guardrails, I have ordered a forensic investigation into the awarding of guardrail tenders by the Department of Transport,” he said.
“We are going to probe any possible links between officials in the department and the ‘guardrail mafia’.”
The investigation follows a joint operation involving the department’s security team and the South African Police Service’s Organised Crime Unit.
A suspected ‘runner’ was arrested in Inanda and information obtained during the investigation led officers to an industrial site in Jacobs, Durban, where another suspect was arrested.
Duma described the second suspect as the alleged mastermind of the operation. Neither suspect has been convicted.
The provincial road network extends for more than 34 000 kilometres and more than R500 million has been invested over the years in installing and maintaining guardrails, according to the department.
The investigation will examine whether the suspects have links to companies awarded contracts to install and maintain the infrastructure. Possible connections to departmental employees, scrapyards and the tow-truck industry will also be investigated.
Duma said the theft of guardrails worth millions of rand had compromised road safety across the province.
“The removal of millions’ worth of guardrails on various road networks has resulted in the deaths of innocent road users,” he said.
He referred to a crash on the N2 between Mandeni and Stanger on March 9, 2025, in which nine church members, including a four-year-old child, were killed when their bus went down an embankment.
However, no information was provided showing that investigators had directly linked the crash to the theft or absence of guardrails.
Tip-offs received from outside the province had provided investigators with additional evidence, Duma said.
“We have handed over the details to our specialised security team, which is working with a highly dedicated detective and members of the SAPS Organised Crime Unit.”
The investigation is continuing.
