Macpherson concerned about construction mafia's political links

JOHANNESBURG - The construction mafia has cost the industry more than R63 billion as extortion, violence and sabotage continue to dominate.

The high-stakes industry has been rocked by criminal syndicates for decades, impacting the country’s economy and slowing service delivery in some areas.

Since 2019, criminals who demand up to 30% of the contract value have disrupted more than 180 projects.

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson met with MECs in all nine provinces in Polokwane on Thursday to discuss progress on work done to clamp down on the construction mafia and ways to address other challenges faced by the department.

While Macpherson said that efforts had moved the needle, he said he was worried about the alleged political links the construction mafias had.

"That’s why I find it particularly concerning when there are some quarters in society who try and paint these thugs and gangsters as nothing more than emerging businesses."