Cape Town - The City of Cape Town has recorded a number of attacks on its workers, forcing it to abandon some of its projects.
It said extortion rackets continued to make demands, threatening the lives of contractors. The City is now offering a R5000 reward for any tip-offs that can lead to an arrest in extortion or criminal activities.
The City said it was alarmed by the shooting in Democracy Way in Phoenix, Milnerton, last Wednesday which targeted Mayco member for Urban Mobility Rob Quintas.
The City said in a report that during the month of May alone, there were five attacks on its workers. Contractors had opened cases with the SAPS.
On May 10, two incidents were reported in Delft and Mfuleni.
At Delft a construction worker was shot and killed while working on a road rehabilitation project, and at Mfuleni a group of five men confronted and threatened a contractor working on the resurfacing of streets.
On May 17, a contractor responsible for roadworks on Koeberg Road in Brooklyn withdrew his workers and machinery from the site due to gangsters demanding a protection fee and threatening workers.
The project was halted earlier in the year as well after the contractor refused to pay the extortionists. Since then, two cases have been reported to the police in Milnerton with the City saying it may be forced to abandon the project because it has posed a risk to human lives.
And on May 24, a contractor had to stop work immediately after a group of gangsters stopped a project in Epping Avenue in Elsies River Industrial.
Quintas said: “I dare say we are now at a point where it has become nearly impossible to do our work without armed patrols.
“Criminals demand protection money from the City and contractors, and because we refuse to pay we are under constant threat of being attacked, or our machinery and assets get stolen with many staff being exposed to violence in the course of carrying out their duties.
“These syndicates and other criminals pose a serious threat to service delivery, not only in Cape Town but across the country.
“I am calling on the national police commissioner and the Minister of Police to do their duty and keep residents safe from thugs. This cannot continue. We will not be able to provide services if it puts the lives of staff and contractors in danger.”