Mining companies and even black-owned contractors say they are increasingly confronting syndicates that incite local communities to disrupt operations.
Mbonambi Council administrator Martin Mbuyazi has accused mineral sands producer Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) of bully tactics after the company approached the court last month for reform of the area's community development trusts.
A threatening letter, a derailed train, blocked roads, burnt vehicles, workers locked up. That's what some of the world's biggest mining companies say they're battling in South Africa: Extortion.