DURBAN - Cornubia contractors are being targeted by the construction “Mafia” in their ongoing campaign in which they demand a share of the work at big building sites.
The so-called Mafia has previously stormed and halted work at other Durban construction sites. Developers and municipalities -including eThekwini and KwaDukuza - have been forced to take legal action to stop the various organisations involved in the campaign from interfering with projects.
Now, several private sector construction sites at Cornubia are being targeted. Cornubia is the massive mixed-use development north of Durban, comprising residential, commercial and industrial sites.
The road leading to offices and warehouses that are under construction have been barricaded with pallets, piping, bricks and rubble, blocking the road for delivery trucks.
Threats have been made, and there are allegations that an AK-47 was spotted in one of the vehicles which arrived at the sites.
Several organisation representatives in four cars arrived in the area last week to make their demands, said a source with a knowledge of the events which cost the contractors lost production because they had to send their workers home.
“Threats were made and trucks could not get through.”
“These representatives demanded 30% of the work, even though the official workforce is already black and the majority are from the local community.
“They also said they wanted their own community liaison officer appointed at the sites, who should be paid between R15000-R20000 a month and the officer would decide who worked at the site. They even wanted to put in their own security people.
“Once they get their foot in the door, they will control everything. Their demands always start when the work is more than 25% or even 50% finished.
“The contractors have all tendered for the work and all the prices have been agreed upon with the developers and investors.
“Why don’t these people also tender for the the work?” the source asked, also pondering why some sites were targeted and others were not.
He claimed the representatives said that if their demands were not met within a week, they would stop the delivery trucks from getting through to the sites.
“If a construction site loses a day’s work here and there, it will set the project back and cost millions,” the source said.
Above: A road barricade which prevented delivery trucks from getting through to the Cornubia construction sites.
The police were called and the representatives left.
Two of the four cars were registered to owners in uMhlanga, the third to someone in Verulam and the fourth to a Hillcrest investment company.
It was unclear which groups were behind the Cornubia campaign, but one organisation which has been active in the Durban and North Coast region is the controversial Delangokubona Business Forum, based in uMlazi.
A spokesperson was contacted, but said he was unable to speak at the time because of family commitments. The Daily News continued trying to contact him, without success.
A spokesman for the Department of Economic
Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, said yesterday that the department condemned any disruption to service delivery because this had the potential to scare off investors.
The MEC, Sihle Zikalala, had already spoken to some of the aggrieved parties.
There were several programmes of the KwaZulu-Natal government which aimed to help previously-disadvantaged communities or groups, including the recently-launched Black Industrialists Programme, intended to increase the number of industrialists in the province.
Other programmes included Operation Vula, an
umbrella programme for various sectors, including the construction industry, and the first sector (agricultural) is scheduled to be launched on June27 in Ixopo.
The programme would create opportunities for previously-disadvantaged farmers, with the Department of Education buying from them for the school-feeding scheme.
Businesses in the private sector had also agreed to buy from the local farmers.