Public Works & Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson said there has been significant progress in cracking down on the ‘construction mafia,’ with hundreds of arrests and convictions helping to stabilise the sector, Engineering News reports.

Speaking at the 2025 National Construction Summit yesterday, the Minister said law enforcement and industry partnerships had begun to turn the tide against the criminal networks that had long disrupted building projects, extorted contractors and delayed public infrastructure delivery.

Government’s response began with the signing of the Durban Declaration a year ago as part of a joint initiative between the Department of Public Works & Infrastructure, SAPS and National Treasury.

‘The declaration was government’s line in the sand. Since then, we’ve seen over 770 cases of construction-related extortion and intimidation reported across the country. Of those, 241 arrests have been made and, most importantly, 176 individuals have been convicted,’ Macpherson said.

He added that KZN had experienced a ‘massive drop’ in site disruptions, with incidents reportedly declining from more than 60 a month last year to fewer than 10 each month currently.

Macpherson said government is in the process of finalising the Integrated Social Facilitation Framework, designed to involve local communities before projects begin.

‘This means local communities will not only become meaningful participants in our projects but also our first line of defence against those who seek to disrupt them.’

Full Engineering News report