The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) is outraged that the Construction Mafia has reportedly caused construction companies to abandon the construction of military veteran shelters Initiated in 2017 with promises of building shelters for 174 veterans, the Montrose Mega City project in Randfontein a project meant to build a shelter for military veterans has failed to deliver on its commitments, leaving incomplete houses vandalized and illegally occupied.
According to media reports, only a handful of veterans received incomplete properties, with many lacking basic amenities like stoves, sinks, and electricity. This is despite the assurance from the government. Veterans have been left in dire conditions, with incomplete houses and no title deeds.
Reportedly, this project was abandoned by the developer in 2018 due to pressure from construction mafias. It is concerning that it is the construction mafias that have derailed the development of this desperately needed housing project Construction mafias have proliferated and spread throughout the country, disturbing, delaying, and derailing the development of key infrastructure for poor communities in rural and urban areas. Yet, law enforcement agencies are not clamping down on these parasitic groups that behave in a treasonous manner.
Corruption in the construction industry not only diverts funds meant for crucial projects but also leads to the use of substandard materials and practices, endangering the lives of workers and the public. SAFTU calls on the government and law enforcement agencies to take decisive action to clamp harshly on corruption mafias, root out corruption, and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
SAFTU calls on the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements to urgently address this issue and provide the necessary support to the affected veterans and communities. We demand swift action to rectify this. In addition, the government must build housing to the poor.
Given the general lack of housing across Gauteng and Urban South Africa, community members have occupied some of the housing units. This should not cause us to misdirect our criticism to ordinary people who have occupied such units. The crisis is caused by the government’s failure to build housing for the people, with Gauteng having a 1.2 million housing backlog from 1996
