A Durban-based fibre infrastructure provider paid R30,000 to a criminal group posing as a “business forum” in June to keep armed men from disrupting their sites. This is part of a recurring pattern of extortion payments the company has made since 2021 to continue its operations across KwaZulu-Natal.
Now a private security owner, who spoke to the Sunday Times on condition of anonymity, revealed he had reluctantly become a “forum fixer” in these transactions.
“In 2021, the company approached me after being threatened by armed men who wanted to take over their site on the north coast. When they refused to pay the initial demand of R50,000, a sudden service delivery protest broke out, delaying their work for days,” the security boss explained.
The company believed the protest was orchestrated by the gang.
“They eventually gave in and paid the money. The gang wasn’t interested in taking over the site to do the work themselves — they lacked the skills and equipment. Their goal was simply to extort money, and they’ve been doing this ever since.”
Despite his advice to the fibre company to stand up to the criminals, the situation escalated when armed men, brandishing high-calibre weapons, threatened technicians at a site in Avoca in Durban. The company felt they had no choice but to comply and paid the gang once again.
“The business forum clearly has informants. As soon as they learn about a new project, I get a call from a representative. I try to negotiate and bring the price down, but they’re sharp, they know exactly what the job is worth,” the security boss said.
He revealed that the highest amount paid to the gang was R95,000, after the devastating floods in April 2022 that caused widespread damage in the province.
“Sometimes they know about a job but don’t contact me at all. I’m tired of it. I’ve advised my client to involve the police, but they fear losing their contracts and their technicians’ lives if they escalate the matter.”
In the case of a major project, like a hospital, mall or dam, it's not just some random criminal passing by and thinking they can make money. These individuals see the scale of the project, gather their friends or associates and put together a plan.
— Roy Mnisi, executive director of Master Builders South Africa
The extortion of businesses by so-called “business forums” has become a growing problem in parts of KwaZulu-Natal, as criminal groups target companies for protection money, often disrupting essential services if their demands are not met.
Roy Mnisi, executive director of Master Builders South Africa, which represents thousands of construction companies, said many contractors pay business forums for their safety.
“We have had an opportunity to speak to those who have been in situations where they felt that they've got to do something about it — those are instances where the lives of employees are at risk.
“No business wants its employees to die in the workplace or on a construction site because they are saving money. In instances like that, builders are held hostage and owners realise the only way to save them from this imminent danger is to pay and get them out. So those are instances that workers are actually held hostage,” he said.
However, no-one other than the company management and the business forums are aware of the amounts paid.
“We haven't got an exact figure, and it's difficult to pin it down to a particular figure, because remember this is an illegal act, so there's no proper recording of it.”
He said the business forums are highly organised.
“In the case of a major project, like a hospital, mall or dam, it's not just some random criminal passing by and thinking they can make money. These individuals see the scale of the project, gather their friends or associates and put together a plan. They figure out how they’re going to approach the contractors and demand money. Some send WhatsApp messages or e-mails, sometimes anonymously, sometimes not.”
Mnisi said the government must step up its responsibility to protect businesses from criminal activity.
“It’s critical that contractors and companies in the construction industry can work without fear of being attacked, assaulted or even killed. They should be able to complete their projects without these constant threats.
“It's been extremely difficult to get our members, even the larger companies, to come forward and speak about the attacks on their sites. They fear that publicising their situation only makes them more vulnerable to future attacks.
“When a contractor's site is targeted, announcing it seems to invite more trouble, as it signals to others that they are easy targets. That's why many companies prefer to remain anonymous. We know the projects and have the details, but our role as an industry body is to provide a response plan and support, not law enforcement. We liaise with the police and other structures, but it's a long, difficult battle that is far from over.”
Mnisi said businesses, contractors, communities, political leaders, tribal authorities, municipalities and local policing forums must work together.
“If we collaborate, it leaves very little room for criminals to operate. When you're part of a community and someone asks you to disrupt a site, you'll say, 'I can’t do that, not just because it's illegal but because the infrastructure being built benefits me.'
“Until we have that unity, we won't solve this. We can't rely on the police alone to make arrests — you can't arrest the whole country. People need to start protecting these assets, knowing that any infrastructure being built around them, even if it's not their house, ultimately benefits them. And of course the government must play its part in enforcing the law.”
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