The ramped up efforts to tackle the scourge of construction mafias is an indication that the Government of National Unity (GNU) will not tolerate, accept or negotiate with crooks and gangsters who seek to hold the state hostage or extort money.
This is according to Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson.
He was speaking at a media briefing at the City Hall in Durban on Monday where he and eThekwini Municipality mayor, Cyril Xaba, announced a collaboration to tackle the City’s problematic buildings.
Min Dean Macpherson says govt will not negotiate with extortionists#constructionmafia pic.twitter.com/mZIXfe8j0e
“We want to see them in prison. That’s the only negotiating that we will be doing is talking about how long they will be spending in Westville prison,” he said.
Earlier this week, Macpherson had a meeting with KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Public Works and Infrastructure, Martin Meyer, where they discussed how to secure sites from construction mafia.
Both the minister and MEC agreed that a meeting must be called with MECs across the country and ministers within the law enforcement cluster to develop a decisive response to construction mafias across South Africa.
Meanwhile, five people were arrested for intimidation and disturbance of infrastructure in Msunduzi in KZN, at the weekend.
“Police responded to reports of a group of people who were disturbing activities at a construction site where a bridge is under construction in uMsunduzi,” said provincial South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson, Colonel Robert Netshiunda.
“On arrival at the scene, police arrested the five suspects and were duly charged.”
The men, aged between 28 and 44, appeared in the Camperdown Magistrate's Court and have been remanded in custody until their next appearance.
It is believed that a man was also arrested on similar charges after he allegedly interrupted construction work in Durban's old Point Road area.
IOL News