Cape Town - The property development and construction industry wants government to legislate community participation in all development projects from the time they are deemed viable.
The industry’s call comes in the wake of violent disruptions on construction sites across the country, which are often attributed to the Construction Mafia.
Although the Western Cape Property Development Forum (WCPDF) said the province had not yet encountered the same level of disruptions seen in other parts of the country, numerous City housing projects have come under fire and resulted in delays due to extortion claims.
A case in point is the Delft housing project on Symphony Way, where violence has led to the death of a City official.
This violence on construction sites, according to the forum’s recently released position paper, was getting to a level where certain contractors in the city were no longer prepared to take on projects in certain areas.
The paper further noted the overall lack of the national government’s will to swiftly act upon or recognise/understand the seriousness of the situation, or have it dealt with by the police.
WCPDF chairperson Deon van Zyl said employers could not allow their staff and contract workers to be exposed to the current level of criminality in the site disruptions. Where possible, Van Zyl said clients and contractors were providing additional security at great expense.
“This is not sustainable, and often the only solution for contractors is to leave and abandon sites. Although this is unfortunate, it remains the only remaining option as long as government and police continue to remain passive,” he said.
Concor’s property development executive, Mark Shonrock, of the company responsible for the development of the Conradie Park in Pinelands, which would offer mixed-income social housing to 3 600 residents, said ground-up community engagement has become crucial to the success of any development project.
Shonrock said these engagements were what formed the backbone of the Conradie Park precinct project, and has enabled them to deliver on the development to date without disruption.
Master Builders Association Western Cape director Roekeya Bardien stressed the need for the industry to recognise that activities on construction sites were “not just a contractor’s problem.”
Bardien said contractors were usually the ones at the coalface when disruptions occur and were often not equipped with the skills to deal with the intense negotiation and facilitation required in such situations.
Bardien said the responsibility lay with the employer, who must take ownership of the community engagement process before the contractor even arrives on site.
“Contractors have accepted that they are part of the process, but they cannot be the driving force behind it and cannot be the face of it all,” he said.
mthuthuzeli.ntseku@inl.co.za