By Celani Sikhakhane
The construction mafia has delivered a death threat to the KwaZulu-Natal Public Works and Infrastructure MEC Martin Meyer by placing a bullet casing next to his official vehicle.
This comes after Meyer took a tough stand against construction mafias in the province last week.
This was revealed by the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson.
Macpherson said: “KZN is a very dangerous place, and I’ve had a number of discussions with […] Meyer. He had a number of threats made against him.
“He told me that he found a bullet casing placed by his car and that sort of thing should not be happening. We want to get infrastructure projects off the ground and rolling so that we can get services delivered to our communities,” said Macpherson.
He told Newzroom Afrika that wouldn’t be surprised if there was an element of political involvement in the threats because there were parties sponsored by the construction mafias. Macpherson did not name the parties.
Last week Meyer had to rush to Pietermaritzburg where construction mafia members were fighting and disrupting sites over a R109-million tender for the construction of offices for the provincial transport department.
He gave a stern warning that if they continued, the law would not hesitate to take its course.
On Monday, five construction mafia members appeared in Camperdown Magistrate’s Court over threats and the disruption of a bridge under construction in Pietermaritzburg.
The suspects, aged between 28 and 44, were arrested following the MEC’s urgent visit on Thursday to one of eight construction sites rocked by similar disruptions.
Meyer said law enforcement agencies need to work closely with judicial authorities to ensure the successful collection of evidence.
He said the courts must send a strong message about the serious impact the disruptions have on communities that desperately need services.
“This latest arrest is an indication that the tide is starting to turn when it comes to the fight against syndicates who seek to illegally disrupt construction projects, which are set to benefit the local community – doing so not only prevents progress but deprives residents of much-needed services and infrastructure,” said Meyer.
Pictured above: KZN MEC for Public Works and Infrastructure Martin Meyer during last week’s visit at a site threatened by the construction mafia in Pietermaritzburg.
Source: Steve Bhengu/Public Works and Infrastructure
