Шантаж «строительной мафии» парализует 15 проектов в Кейптауне и останавливает работу на пяти объектах

Extortion of 15 City of Cape Town projects disrupting service delivery Ntuthuzelo Nene 1 September 2026 | 7:42 A further 17 projects are being affected by interference from so-called business forums, with two of those projects also brought to a halt. FILE: Western Cape MMC for security and safety, JP Smith. Picture: Kayleen Morgan/EWN Extortion continues to disrupt service delivery in Cape Town, with 15 city projects currently affected, and at least five of those stopped. A further 17 projects are being affected by interference from so-called business forums, with two of those projects also brought to a halt. The city said extortion has become a major and growing crisis, targeting businesses, municipal services and developments in informal settlements. Criminal networks, often referred to as the "construction mafia", allegedly demand money or jobs from contractors, delaying projects worth hundreds of millions of rand. The problem turned deadly in 2023 when City of Cape Town official Wendy Kloppers was murdered at a housing project in Delft. Kloppers was allegedly killed after the city refused to give in to gangsters demanding work from contractors at the project. Safety and Security MMC JP Smith said Delft remains a major hotspot.   “The projects in Delft with the road refurbishment have repeatedly been stopped, to the point where the contractors walked away from those projects, and we had to find new contractors." Smith said the city is now relying on security escorts to keep work going. However, he said that this is not a long-term solution and is calling for those behind the extortion to be arrested and prosecuted. Never miss a major story. Get breaking news and the latest developments from South Africa and beyond as they happen. Get the whole picture 💡 Take a look at the topic timeline for all related articles.