Authorities unite to crack down on construction mafia

KWAZULU-NATAL MEC for Public Works and Infrastructure, Martin Meyer, alongside his national counterpart, has called for an urgent meeting to develop a decisive strategy against the construction mafia and extortion rackets.

Also read: Questions surround construction site collapse

This is despite receiving death threats after cracking down on what he labelled as criminal elements who have been extorting construction work and protection fees on the South Coast and other areas. During a recent meeting with Dean Macpherson who is the Minister of Public Works, Meyer presented a detailed report on the state of the construction mafia in the province.

Since around 2014, these mafias have been notorious for demanding a 30% cut of all government construction projects. When their demands are not met, they allegedly resort to intimidation, often halting work through intimidation and violence.

Meanwhile, extortion gangs are reportedly demanding protection fees from businesses and street vendors alike.
Meyer, an Amanzimtoti native, recently disclosed that after intensifying efforts to crack down on the construction mafia and extortion rackets, he began receiving death threats. Last month, he discovered a spent bullet casing placed next to his car.

Construction mafias halt repairs

In Amanzimtoti, construction mafias halted repair work on the N2, which had been damaged by the 2022 floods. Work only resumed after they were given a cut of the project, amounting to millions of rands.

In June, the Isipingo Business Forum confirmed that a business in the CBD was approached by five men demanding protection fees. Minister Macpherson, who vowed to address this issue upon his appointment, condemned the lawlessness.

“During a recent oversight visit to the uMkhomazi water project, I learned that an altercation with the construction mafia resulted in the deaths of three people and the assault of another. This is simply unacceptable. We cannot attract additional infrastructure investment or turn the country into a construction hub while this lawlessness persists,” he said.

Macpherson and Meyer have jointly committed to convening a national summit with the respective MECs from all provinces, as well as ministers from the law enforcement cluster, to formulate a comprehensive response to the construction mafia across the country.

“This is why it is imperative to develop a thorough plan to not only attract further infrastructure investment but also to protect the lives of our people,” said Macpherson and Meyer in a joint statement.

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