Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson and his KwaZulu-Natal Public Works and Infrastructure MEC, Martin Meyer, have called for an urgent meeting to address the scourge of construction mafias in the country and KZN in particular.
In a statement, Macpherson said they have jointly agreed that an urgent meeting with all the respective MECs in all provinces and the ministers in the law enforcement cluster should be held in KwaZulu-Natal.
This comes as provinces such as KZN, Eastern Cape and the Western Cape have been battling with protection fee syndicates and construction mafia syndicates.
Last week, it was reported that these syndicates had resulted in the closure of four schools in the Eastern Cape, while in KZN, the problem has seen some construction projects being delayed.
Calls for this urgent meeting follow a meeting between Macpherson and Meyer, during which Meyer presented a report detailing the resurgence of construction mafia activities in KwaZulu-Natal.
In a meeting on Friday, Meyer provided Macpherson with a report on how the problem of construction mafias had resurfaced in KwaZulu-Natal.
“Shortly after I was appointed as Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, I vowed to deal decisively with the construction mafia and to restore the rule of law at construction sites across the country.
“During a recent oversight visit to the uMkhomazi water project, I learnt how an altercation with the construction mafia led to the death of three people and the assault of another. This is simply unacceptable. We will never be able to attract additional infrastructure investment, and turn the country into a construction site, while this lawlessness continues,” Macpherson said.
According to the minister, the meeting will see all MECs of public works across the country come together to find meaningful ways to stop the surge in protection and construction syndicates.
According to the minister, the meeting with public works MECs across the country and the Ministers in the Law Enforcement cluster will help the government develop a comprehensive plan to turn the tide against the construction mafia in a bid to “not only attract additional infrastructure investment but protect the lives of our people”.
Last week, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu revealed that he had deployed extra police officers to the Eastern Cape after a string of protection-fee mafia reports in that province.
“We have been inundated with reports on the worsening crime in the Eastern Cape. As per our resolutions taken last week at the stakeholder engagements, we will be deploying additional members to the Eastern Cape,” Mchunu said on Tuesday.
The Star
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