The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) welcomes the significant progress made by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) in cracking down on the construction mafia, which has long been a scourge on workers, communities, and the economy. These criminal networks have extorted contractors, delayed essential public projects, and placed workers’ lives in constant danger. They have also worsened South Africa’s deepening infrastructure crisis, sabotaging development, driving up project costs, and denying poor communities access to critical services.
According to Minister DPWI, since the government’s coordinated response began in November 2024, there have been 770 reported cases of construction-related extortion and intimidation across the country. Of these, 241 arrests have been made and 176 individuals convicted. SAFTU acknowledges this as a major step forward in restoring stability to the sector and safeguarding the public’s right to essential infrastructure.
For years, the construction sector has been paralysed by violent extortion, intimidation, and project disruptions that have undermined service delivery and prolonged poverty in working-class communities. These criminal networks exploit and weaponize real grievances like unemployment, exclusion, and inequality for personal gain and criminal enrichment. Their actions have contributed to the collapse of public infrastructure, further trapping the working class in unsafe, undignified living conditions.
Across the country, the effects of this collapse are plain to see. Workers and communities are forced to endure crumbling roads, failing railways, burst water pipes, load-shedding, and broken clinics and schools. Public infrastructure now reflects the failures of governance, corruption, and austerity. The decay of municipal infrastructure has devastated local economies, driving job losses, inflating transport costs, and eroding public services on which millions depend.
SAFTU is encouraged by the DPWI for finally treating the construction mafia crisis with the seriousness it deserves. We welcome the department’s collaboration with law enforcement agencies, improved oversight mechanisms, and commitments to protect workers and contractors from violence and extortion. We, however, emphasize that this breakthrough must not end with arrests or announcements. It must become part of a broader national plan to rebuild the country’s collapsing infrastructure and restore public-sector capacity.
SAFTU warns that the battle against construction mafias cannot be separated from the broader struggle against corruption, privatisation, and austerity, policies that have hollowed out state capacity, undermined service delivery, and left space for criminal syndicates to flourish. The state must rebuild its engineering, planning, and construction capacity to reduce dependence on private contractors and consultants.
SAFTU CALLS FOR THE FOLLOWING URGENT MEASURES
1. Dedicated, specialised law-enforcement capacity
Units focused solely on construction extortion, with intelligence support, rapid-response capability, and strong prosecutorial backing.
2. Protection for workers and whistle-blowers
Workers must never be left alone on sites to face violence, intimidation, or threats.
3. Transparent, community-driven procurement
Local participation must be genuine and democratic, not captured by syndicates or politically connected elites.
4. Public reporting and monitoring
The DPWI must publish regular updates on cases, arrests, convictions, and progress.
5. A national, publicly led infrastructure recovery plan
Centred on job creation, public ownership, and rebuilding technical capacity inside the state rather than outsourcing it.
SAFTU DEMANDS
• Expansion of the crackdown to all provinces, including municipalities with the highest levels of infrastructure collapse.
• Immediate action against water tanker mafias that extort communities and steal public resources.
• Swift and harsh sentencing for those found guilty.
• Guaranteed safe working conditions and decent wages for all construction and maintenance workers.
Infrastructure is not a privilege; it is a right
When infrastructure collapses, it is workers and the poor who suffer:
• Unsafe and expensive transport
• Water shortages
• Electricity cuts
• Job losses
• Failing public services
SAFTU calls on the government to pair its anti-mafia efforts with a massive, public-sector-led infrastructure renewal programme that creates decent jobs, rebuilds local economies, and restores dignity to communities.
The fight against construction mafias is a fight to reclaim South Africa’s future.
SAFTU stands ready to mobilise workers, communities, and all progressive forces to ensure that public infrastructure serves the people, not criminals, profiteers, or corrupt officials.
A statement was issued on behalf of the SAFTU General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi
For media inquiries, contact the National Spokesperson at:
Newton Masuku
0785164094
Media Officer
Asive Dyani
0719019564
