By Lesedi Sibiya-Diplomatic Insider
More than 180 infrastructure projects in South Africa have been disrupted by the Construction mafia across the country. There are growing concerns as the Construction Mafia have now managed to form their own businesses posing as legitimate contractors.
The infrastructure projects have been valued at R63 billion and Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson has issued a warning to those engaging in business with potential swindlers.
“They were learning how to embed themselves, not only through open violence, but through subcontracting arrangements, local participation structures, security contracts, front companies and self appointed community representatives” said Macpherson during a press conference in Cape Town.
Macpherson made his statements after cabinet had approved the Integrated Social Facilitation Framework (ISFF). The ISFF has been presented as a binding legal policy that requires government departments, municipalities, and state owned entities in order to engage communities before they commence construction works.
The construction mafia are organised groups that disrupt and invade construction sites and demand money, subcontracts and jobs often through means of violence and intimidation as well as disguising themselves as local participants.
“It is an important tool in the value chain of our efforts to fight back against the construction mafia and extortionists and those that seek to stop our progress on infrastructure sites across the country” said Macpherson regarding the ISFF which he mentioned was two years in the making.
“I am grateful to the cabinet for approving the Integrated Social Facilitation Framework as a binding legal policy instrument, which is a step in moving forward from policy development to formal government implementation” Macpherson said further.
He further stated that the construction mafia had been a major threat facing infrastructure delivery since he took office in July 2024.
“Projects were being stopped, workers were being intimidated, in some cases assaulted, violently so, equipment was being damaged or stolen, and companies were being forced to pay money or surrender work to people who had no lawful claim to it.” he said.
Macpherson cited the uMkhomazi water project in Kwa-Zulu Natal as an incident that felt like a major turning point for him in which the construction mafia had left three people dead and another assaulted.