‘Mafia’ halts major projects
● Stakeholders call on authorities to intervene in construction war
Death threats, malicious damage to property and intimidation adopted by the so-called construction mafia have become a national crisis threatening economic growth.
That is according to stakeholders who have appealed to the ministers of police and finance to intervene in delays to major construction projects across SA.
Many have pointed fingers at the Delangokubona Business Forum.
The forum was linked in February 2017 to the death of construction worker Craig Mallon, who committed suicide after telling his wife in an SMS that “the DBF [the Delangokubona Business Forum] threatened us”.
“Please look after our kids. You will be safer now that I am gone. DBF threatened us. Love you,” Mallon texted, according to a Sunday Times report.
At the time, the forum did not respond to requests for comment, but it told Times Select last week it denied the new allegations against it.
Mallon’s death was linked to a mafia-style construction war in which the notorious forum took on the largest construction firms in SA – a situation that many believed put civil works projects worth billions – from pipelines to hospitals and malls to roads in KwaZulu-Natal – at risk. Now stakeholders say it is becoming a national problem and has reached crisis level.
The Association of South African Quantity Surveyors said a number of international companies had pulled out of construction projects worth billions after ongoing violent disruptions.
In March alone, three major projects have been stalled.
“Armed gangs demanded to be part of the R1.65bn Sanral Bridge Project in the Eastern Cape,” association member Yunus Bayat said.
“These illegal site disruptions caused Aveng and the European-based Strabag International to pull out of the project, which forms part of the N2 Wild Coast Road.
“On Wednesday, 13 March 2019, a R2.4bn German oil storage investment project that is being constructed by WBHO in Saldanha was halted after armed gangs arrived on site.
“The gangs demanded to be part of the project and burned the properties to the ground.
“Pictures of the scene look like footage from a war zone.
“Police were called, but they only arrived hours later and said the issue had to be handed over to the Paarl police station.
“Contractors, female engineers and other staff had to run for their lives into the veld.
“The response from the South African police force simply isn’t good enough anymore,” Bayat said.
The highly anticipated R10bn Zimbali Lakes Resort project, on KwaZulu-Natal’s north coast was recently also delayed following a protest by members of the controversial KwaZulu-Natal-based Delangokubona Business Forum.
Speaking to Times Select on condition of anonymity, a contractor and developer who had knowledge of the incident said the main contractor fled into bushes after he was assaulted.
“He managed to get out and literally had to run through the bush to get to safety.
“This was about the third incident at this specific site.
“We have previously received death threats and even had the lives of our family threatened.
“Every single contractor I have dealt with, and I deal with a lot, have encountered these problems – it happens all day, every day, and is killing us and the industry.
“I personally have been slapped over the head, had guns pointed at me and bullets left in my car as a warning.
“It’s a nightmare when you are trying to get things off the ground and you are subjected to constant threats,” he said.
The worker who was allegedly assaulted had not opened a case against the forum for fear of victimisation.
In 2018, construction of the R276.45m Hammarsdale Interchange on the busy N3 highway between Durban and Pietermaritzburg was halted for two months to protect workers from threats and intimidation.
The forum demanded 30% participation in the project.
On March 18, the South African Forum of Civil Engineering Contractors pleaded for action from finance minister Tito Mboweni.
In the letter, the forum said it was gravely concerned that construction projects worth a minimum of R25.5bn were being violently disrupted.
Black Business Council in the Built Environment CEO Gregory Mofokeng said in a letter to police minister Bheki Cele that the matter was a law enforcement issue.
“In the letter we articulated the modus operandi that some of these forums have adopted.
“It’s a very serious issue and one that should not be taken lightly or ignored.
“We are receiving complaints from members daily.”
Mofokeng emphasised that while the Delangokubona Business Forum was one of the key roleplayers responsible for these disruptions, it was not the only one.
“Initially, this issue began in KwaZulu-Natal, but it has now spread across the country.
“There is more than one forum involved in these activities.
“There is nothing wrong with them being involved in the construction process, but the problem comes in when they start demanding how much and when they get paid.”
He said the police needed to prioritise such cases.
“We don’t want a situation where main contractors are opening cases against subcontractors – it all comes down to economic growth and that needs to be done in a conducive environment,” he said.
Treasury spokesperson Jabulani Sikhakhane said Mboweni had received the letter and would study it before responding.
Delangokubona Business Forum district secretary Phinda Khoza said he was not aware that anyone had been assaulted during the confrontation.
“If there was any form of assault, then surely a case would have been opened.
“The members who were there during the protest were all local people and were demanding what belongs to them – 30% of the overall work, business opportunity and labour opportunities.” –
‘Gangs demanded to be part of the project and burned the properties ...’
Yunus Bayat
ASSOCIATION OF SA QUANTITY SURVEYORS MEMBER