ANC head of economic transformation committee Mmamoloko Kubayi says they will never negotiate with the construction mafia when they disrupt projects in the country.
Kubayi, who is also the Minister of Human Settlements, said the security cluster must deal with the issue of the construction mafia as it was sabotaging the economy.
The National Executive Committee of the ANC is also discussing the matter.
Kubayi, who was part of NEC members briefing the media on Saturday, said she was concerned when she heard about the issue of an MEC in KwaZulu-Natal who was planning to meet with the construction mafia.
That was not how the government was operating and it was not their policy because they understand the impact this disruption was causing to the economy.
It emerged this week that KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Public Works Sipho Nkosi was planning to meet with the construction mafia which had disrupted a project, worth almost R40 million, at a school in Umlazi.
The project had stalled since 2020.
Kubayi said it was not the business of government to negotiate with people who disrupt projects.
“When I saw the matter as well I was concerned in my capacity as Minister but also as chair of the economic transformation committee because we do understand the impact the construction mafia is doing on the economy. We have called for law enforcement agencies to be able to deal with them,” said Kubayi.
She said she spoke to the KZN MEC who explained that it was not a broader negotiation, but he was intervening in a project that had stalled with a view to understanding the issues.
But Kubayi insisted that they will never negotiate with people who disrupt projects.
“As government we can’t negotiate with people that are actually going into sites and demanding a percentage of money. That is completely out.
“We do condemn acts of disruption of projects because they deny people (access to) housing projects and they deny people access to homes,” said Kubayi.
Minister of Police Bheki Cele said the police have been cracking down on the construction mafia in the last three years by making more arrests.
Cele said they have also seen fewer cases of construction mafia being reported due to intervention by the police.
Cele, who was replying to a written parliamentary question from IFP MP Inkosi Bhekizizwe Luthuli, said in the 2021/2022 financial year there were 94 cases of construction mafia reported, but this dropped to 41 the following year and this year only 10 cases were reported.
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