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Two suspects have been arrested after allegedly disrupting construction work on the N2 near Sheepmoor and demanding employment.
According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), the incident occurred on 17 August 2026. The suspects allegedly threatened to halt construction if they were not employed.
Officers from Sheepmoor SAPS and the Provincial Organised Crime Investigation unit responded to the complaint and arrested the suspects at the construction site. They appeared in the Ermelo Magistrate’s Court on 18 August on charges of extortion.
In a separate operation in Kriel, police arrested an Emalahleni Local Municipality public participation coordinator for alleged corruption. The official allegedly demanded an undisclosed amount of money from a contractor in exchange for facilitating a peace agreement between the contractor and community members.
Police said the money was recovered from the suspect and seized as evidence. The official was expected to appear in the Kriel Magistrate’s Court on 19 August.
Mpumalanga provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Apaphia Modise said the arrests should send a strong message that corruption and extortion linked to service-delivery projects would not be tolerated.