Four suspected extortionists arrested at Johannesburg construction site

The JMPD has arrested four suspects at a construction site for alleged extortion. (@JoburgMPD/X, formerly Twitter)

Four suspected extortionists have been arrested in Johannesburg.
They allegedly demanded R1000 daily from the construction workers.
They are facing charges of extortion, intimidation and public violence.

Four alleged extortionists have been arrested for allegedly demanding R1,000 a day from construction workers at a building site at the intersection of Simmonds and Thorpe Streets in Marshalltown, Johannesburg.

On Monday, officers from the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) responded to a report of the alleged extortion.

According to Xolani Fihla, spokesperson for the JMPD, “certain individuals, who are perceived to be members of a construction mafia”, were demanding R1000 daily from construction workers and blocking access to the construction site.

“The suspects also disrupted the construction process by parking a gray Mercedes-Benz at the entrance, preventing legitimate workers from entering the construction site,” he said.

“Furthermore, the defendants maintained that only their preferred employees from Ward 124 would be hired. This claim was disputed by the property owner, who denied that there was any prior agreement with the defendants regarding employment.”

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The four men were arrested at Johannesburg Central police station and are accused of extortion, intimidation and public violence.

Fihla said the JMPD would carry out more operations to “put an end to these illegal activities”.

“We want to reassure the public that the City of Johannesburg is fully committed to eradicating the influence of such criminal groups and maintaining a safe environment for all businesses and construction projects in our city. Our decisive action today illustrates that we will not tolerate any form of extortion or intimidation,” he said.