Government, stakeholders sign declaration to work together against “construction mafia”

The signing of the Durban Declaration between the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure and stakeholders involved in the fight against “construction mafias”, has been welcomed by Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson

The department and the South African Police Service (SAPS), the National Treasury and the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) have agreed to work together to bring an end to criminal disruption at construction sites.

The Durban Declaration was signed by the Minister, Deputy Minister of Police Cassel Mathale, Deputy Minister of Finance Ashor Sarupen and CIDB chairperson Khulile Nzo, at the end of the National Construction Summit on Crime-Free Construction at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre on Tuesday afternoon.

“The Durban Declaration marks a historic partnership and commitment between different sectors of society to work together to bring an end to the so-called construction mafia and ensure that infrastructure projects continue uninterrupted. 

“It binds sectors to implement certain interventions to discourage criminality at construction sites, reduce opportunities for disruptions to occur, and hold the guilty accountable,” Macpherson said.

“From the moment I was appointed as Public Works and Infrastructure Minister, it was clear to me that unless we bring an end to these stoppages at infrastructure projects, we would never be able to attract additional investment which will grow our economy and create jobs. 

“As job creation is the Government of National Unity’s key priority, it was therefore imperative to address the issue head-on, and the signing of the declaration today is a fulfilment of this commitment,” he said.

The Durban Declaration proposes a series of interventions to end the disruptions at construction sites to be implemented over the course of the next year, including:

• Strengthening the legislation governing the construction industry

• Implementing appropriate policies for the development of the construction industry

• Improving the data and reporting systems

• Enhancing the rapid response to lead to arrests for extortion on construction sites and prosecutions

• Developing standard frameworks and guidelines for embedding social facilitation in project planning and implementation

• Providing for the systematic and structured development of emerging enterprises and skills development

• Establishing collaborative platforms for industry stakeholders to share best practices

• Collaborate on solutions to the problems faced by the construction industry

“By the time the next National Construction Summit takes place next year, I look forward to reporting that meaningful progress was achieved in these focus areas and that there has been a significant decline in the number of construction disruptions reported. 

“I have no doubt that by working together, we will be able to bring an end to the construction mafia and build a better South Africa. Together, let’s build South Africa,” Macpherson said. – SAnews.gov.za

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