Criminals hinder South African construction projects
A South African engineering contractors lobby group has asked government to better enforce security, as criminals have disrupted or vandalised construction projects valued at R25.5-billion across the country.
Armed gangs recently disrupted the R1.65-billion Mtentu Bridge project, in the Eastern Cape province, and a R2.4-billion oil-storage investment project at Saldanha, in the Western Cape, was halted on March 13 after people demanding to be part of the project burnt down properties, the South African Forum of Civil Engineering Contractors (Safcec) said in a March 18 letter addressed to Finance Minister Tito Mboweni.
In the first incident, police released the arrested perpetrators and, in the second, public-order officials took three hours to arrive, Safcec said.
The economy and workers’ livelihoods “are the main casualties”, the organisation said.
“No taxes can be collected due to no economic activity taking place. The rule of law needs to be maintained at all times in order not to scare off investors in the sector.”
South Africa’s construction and materials index is down 25% over the past 12 months and the attacks on projects could harm President Cyril Ramaphosa’s efforts to lure $100-billion in investment over five years to revitalize an economy that has not expanded at more than 2% since 2013.
Poor educational skills have constrained the economy, which is struggling with an unemployment rate of almost 28%. The country’s murder rate rose to its highest level in nine years in the 12 months to March last year as a depleted police force struggled to come to grips with violent crime.
The Finance Ministry has received the letter, spokesperson Jabulani Sikhakhane said in an emailed response to questions.
Article Enquiry
Email Article
Save Article
Feedback
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
Developed to exceed the latest EN 15964 standards for police breathalysers proving that it will remain accurate and reliable for many years to come.
VISIT SHOWROOM
Rentech provides renewable energy products and services to the local and selected African markets. Supplying inverters, lithium and lead-acid...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
