By Celani Sikhakhane
- Mayor Comfort Khumalo told local business groups they cannot claim a huge share of project money under three million rand.
- Gangs demanding protection money have disrupted building across KwaZulu-Natal and left government officials dealing with serious death threats this year.
The mayor of the Big Five Hlabisa Municipality is fighting back against the construction mafia. Comfort Khumalo wants to stop gangs from ruining community projects by demanding a massive cut of the money.
Contractors building roads and bridges in uMkhanyakude villages fear these groups will target them. The mafia usually demands a 30 percent extortion fee in the name of protection.
Khumalo introduced new road and bridge building projects in the Mqobokazi and Mnyathi villages in Hluhluwe this week. He told local business forums they will only get subbing work on projects over R3 million.
He said the municipality does not have tens of millions of rands for huge projects. They only build access roads which take three months to finish.
“This stand is really working for us,” Khumalo said.
He said local groups now make sure nobody stops the work or misses deadlines.
KwaZulu-Natal is ground zero for the construction mafia. The extortion started in townships like Umlazi and KwaMashu in 2014 and spread across the country.
Syndicates have stopped over 180 building projects worth up to R68 billion since 2019. Big companies are forced to pay massive amounts of money. Stefanutti Stocks paid an old mafia boss over R8.5 million for protection on the R20 billion uMkhomazi water project.
The mafia is also targeting politicians. Public Works MEC Martin Meyer has faced serious danger since taking his job in 2024. Attackers have left bullets in his car and at the door of his office because he is fighting the gangs.
Pictured above: Big Five Hlabisa Local Municipality Mayor Comfort Khumalo.
Image source: Big Five Hlabisa Local Municipality
