Pressure is mounting on Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu to declare a provincial disaster after construction extortionists allegedly continued disrupting major infrastructure projects despite court orders aimed at stopping them.
The call comes from the DA, who says organised groups operating on construction sites across the province have become so powerful that they are delaying critical projects, inflating costs, and undermining the rule of law.
The renewed concern follows an admission by the Mpumalanga department of public works, roads and transport that individuals disrupting work at the long-delayed Mpumalanga Parliamentary Village project in Mbombela have continued to ignore a court order issued against them.
In a statement released last week, the department condemned the “ongoing disruptions, intimidation and unlawful closure of the construction site by so-called ‘mafia contractors'” at the project.
“The Department wishes to place it on record that a court order was duly issued against those responsible for disrupting activities at the Parliamentary Village project.
“However, the individuals concerned continue to disregard and violate the court order with impunity, placing themselves in direct contempt of court,” the department said.
The department warned that the ongoing disruptions were threatening workers, delaying infrastructure delivery and increasing costs to taxpayers.
“The department calls upon the South African Police Service (SAPS) to urgently enforce the existing court orders and ensure that the rule of law prevails,” it said.
Construction projects infiltrated
It added that failure to act decisively against those responsible risked “emboldening criminal elements” and further destabilising critical infrastructure projects intended to improve communities’ lives.
The DA says the situation has reached crisis levels.
“The Democratic Alliance calls on Premier Mandla Ndlovu to declare the Mpumalanga construction mafias a provincial disaster,” said DA lawmaker Teboho Sekaledi.
According to Sekaledi, groups often presenting themselves as business forums have allegedly infiltrated major construction projects, demanding up to 30% of the project’s values and using intimidation, extortion, and violence to secure participation in contracts.
The opposition party argues that some of the province’s largest public infrastructure projects have suffered years of delays and substantial cost escalations as a result.
Among the projects cited is the Mkhondo Boarding School. Construction started in 2018 and was expected to take 18 months at an estimated cost of R200-million.
According to the DA, the project was only completed this year at a cost approaching R1-billion.
The party also pointed to the Mapulaneng Hospital project in Bushbuckridge. Originally budgeted at R2.5-billion and expected to be completed by June 2025, more than R3-billion has already been spent while the project remains incomplete.
The Mpumalanga Parliamentary Village presents a similar picture. First envisaged in 2013 and launched in 2017 with an estimated budget of R300-million, the development has since approached the R1-billion mark and is still unfinished.
Consequences of disruptions
The department itself acknowledged the financial consequences of disruptions.
“These continuous disruptions have serious financial and developmental implications for government. Delays in project implementation inevitably lead to escalating costs, prolonged completion timelines, and delayed access to critical public infrastructure and services for communities,” it said.
Sekaledi argued that the activities attributed to the groups meet several requirements contained in the Disaster Management Act.
“They are causing disruptions to the lives of communities; they have caused injuries and death to construction workers, and they have caused damage to property and infrastructure,” he said.
The department has urged communities, civil society organisations and traditional leaders not to associate themselves with criminal activities disguised as business interests or community grievances.
It maintains that infrastructure projects are intended to create jobs, stimulate economic activity and improve public services and therefore must be protected from intimidation and extortion.
- The DA is pressuring Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu to declare a provincial disaster due to ongoing disruptions by construction extortionists delaying major infrastructure projects despite court orders.
- The Mpumalanga department of public works confirms these "mafia contractors" continue to intimidate, unlawfully close sites, and ignore court orders, threatening workers, inflating costs, and delaying infrastructure delivery.
- Organised groups, often posing as business forums, reportedly demand up to 30% of project values through intimidation and violence, causing years of delays and massive cost overruns in key projects like the Mkhondo Boarding School, Mapulaneng Hospital, and the Parliamentary Village.
- The department warns that failure to act decisively risks emboldening criminals and destabilising projects critical to community development, urging police enforcement of court orders and protection of infrastructure efforts.
- The DA argues these disruptions meet criteria for declaring a provincial disaster under the Disaster Management Act, citing impacts including community disruption, worker injuries and deaths, and property damage.
Pressure is mounting on
In a statement released last week, the department condemned the "ongoing disruptions, intimidation and unlawful closure of the construction site by so-called 'mafia contractors'" at the project.
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"However, the individuals concerned continue to disregard and violate the court order with impunity, placing themselves in direct contempt of court," the department said.
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It added that failure to act decisively against those responsible risked "emboldening criminal elements" and further destabilising critical infrastructure projects intended to improve communities' lives.
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Sekaledi argued that the activities attributed to the groups meet several requirements contained in the Disaster Management Act.
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It maintains that infrastructure projects are intended to create jobs, stimulate economic activity and improve public services and therefore must be protected from intimidation and extortion.
