Years of disruption by so-called ‘construction mafias’ in the civil engineering sector are holding back South Africa’s recovery and all parties now need to throw their support behind efforts to eradicate this, statutory body the Bargaining Council for the Civil Engineering Industry (BCCEI) says in a statement.

BCCEI operations manager Lindie Fourie says the problem of intimidation, extortion and violence on construction sites has reached crisis levels.

“We are encouraged by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent announcement of a special police unit to deal with the construction mafia, but it will need all stakeholders to give active support if this effort is to be successful.

“The BCCEI has developed an action plan to address the challenges in the civil engineering industry and we are reaching out to other players to ensure our response is collaborative,” she points out.

Key aspects of the plan include working with stakeholders to effectively prevent interference in projects, as well as reacting proactively to instances of interference, Fourie says.

She commends the various government bodies, industry associations and professional societies that have already spoken out against the ‘construction mafia’ and calls on all players to collaborate in their responses. 

“With our members being both employees and employers, we have witnessed lives being threatened, ransoms demanded and people kidnapped, as well as jobs lost when these criminal elements target important civil engineering projects – most of which are State-funded.

"With government working hard on its Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, the country cannot afford its investments in infrastructure to be hijacked by local mafias,” Fourie emphasises.

She says the delays and damage caused are stalling government’s job creation efforts, as infrastructure works are among the quickest ways to stimulate growth.

“Government infrastructure projects all include a range of constructive transformation measures, which are dutifully applied by contractors who legally win these projects.

"Mafias are undermining these worthy efforts and derailing crucial improvements to our roads, water, energy and other infrastructure – and holding back government’s service delivery,” Fourie says.