The staff of the roads department in eThekwini municipality in KwaZulu-Natal is living in fear after it has been repeatedly attacked by a group of suspected “mafias” who then confiscated their maintenance equipment, saying the job should be left to them and their companies.
As a result, the staff is now reluctant to go out and repair roads in notorious northern townships like KwaMashu and Newlands West.
Staff abandoned repair projects
Making matters worse are allegations that the staff’s plea to be accompanied by armed security guards whenever they go to these areas have fallen on deaf ears. It has been alleged that the deputy head for the roads maintenance department, Thanda Zulu, has claimed that they do not have money to provide armed security guards.
As a result, some roads in these townships are in a bad state as staff is reluctant to venture there. This is contained in an internal report seen by Sunday World. Part of the report recorded that the attacks started mid last year, and they have intensified.
“There is an ongoing criminal activity. Criminals forcefully take small plant machinery that’s used to compact tar. The workers are now scared and calls for security to accompany them have not been heeded as the department says it has no budget for that.
“All this is happening around KwaMashu and Newlands. These incidents have been reported to the SAPS since 2024. The suspects here are MK cadres, because last month they were seen repairing potholes in Kwamashu,” reads part of the report.
MK veterans fingered
It is not clear which MK was being referred to in the report. This is as there is MK (Umkhonto WeSizwe) Party which came to the public fore in 2023. And the MK War (former ANC military wing) veterans who have been there for the longest time. They have been demanding jobs and tenders from the municipality.
At some point they stormed a council sitting at the Durban city hall to demand tenders and jobs.
According to the report, the last incident of attack was reported in May this year. Municipal staff was attacked and their equipment was taken away in KwaMashu’s section bordering Ntuzuma township. It is not clear in the report whether the equipment was later recovered or not.
The incident was reported at the Ntuzuma police station. Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo, spokesperson for KwaZulu-Natal police, confirmed to Sunday World that a case was opened there.
Workers ambushed while repairing roads
“Police in Ntuzuma are investigating a case of common robbery following an incident in which employees were robbed of a machine Wacker on 19 May 2025. Reports indicate that the victims were performing their duties along Mlahleni Circle in KwaMashu. They were ambushed by three unknown men who robbed them of the machines. They fled the scene in the gateway vehicle,” Ngcobo said.
The municipality’s communication unit said the city has started providing security for the employees.
“The city confirms that it has been providing security for the eThekwini municipality’s
roads unit at the Newlands Depot, which also covers a portion of the KwaMashu
area since the beginning of June 2025.
“This measure is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure the safety of staff and the continuity of essential services in the area,” it said.
