Disruptions at construction sites were order of the day during the reign of the construction mafia
Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers
The Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) has warned that the construction mafia may be down, but it is not out.
On Monday, CIDB chief executive officer Bongani Dladla said although the group has been severely neutralised, it is not yet completely eliminated. He attributed the massive reduction of site disruptions and stoppages to the 2024 National Construction Summit in Durban which concluded with a declaration to form a joint multi-stakeholder approach, including better data collection, whistleblower reporting mechanisms and faster enforcement action.
“The construction mafia has not disappeared, but the coordinated response by government and industry has made a measurable impact. We have seen a drastic reduction in site disruptions and stoppages in a number of areas, which points to progress rather than the total elimination of the problem.
“This can be attributed to stronger collaboration between law enforcement, government departments and industry stakeholders, together with improved reporting systems, rapid-response interventions, and the growing use of social facilitation to involve communities and stakeholders early in infrastructure project lifecycles,” said Dladla.
The board was reacting to the completion of Menzi High School which was severely hampered by disruption from the construction mafia. On Friday, provincial Public Works and Infrastructure MEC Martin Meyer together with members of the Parliament, including Police portfolio chairperson Ian Cameron and Mzamo Billy marked the completion of the school.
In a statement issued by Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson, he commended Meyer for reaching a year without project disruptions.
The school's renovation and the construction of 13 new classrooms started in 2022 but was delayed by the six disruptions by a group who raided the site demanding 30% of the work to be allocated to them, without a tender process.
During one of the disruptions, a shooting and hostage situation occurred. Meyer attributed his achievement in dealing with violent groups to isolating them from the genuine business forums and consistently refusing to negotiate with criminal elements within the forums.
willem.phungula@inl.co.za