Public works and infrastructure minister Dean Macpherson has detailed how KwaZulu-Natal infrastructure MEC Martin Meyer found a bullet casing near his car amid construction mafia threats in the province. KwaZulu-Natal is a dangerous place and I have had a number of discussions with Meyer and he's now had a number of threats made against him. He told me he found a bullet casing placed by his car. That sort of thing should not be happening, s aid Macpherson in an interview with Newzroom Afrika.
Meyer was appointed MEC in June and has been vocal about fighting construction mafias in the province delaying projects. Macpherson said he was concerned about growing threats posed by construction mafias. It's widespread across the country but it's particularly pronounced in KZN and it's moved into the Western Cape and is showing itself in Mpumalanga as well. Every time one of these sites is hijacked or brought to a stop it's the community that suffers the most. Communities rely on infrastructure not only to better their lives but for job creation and to connect them to other parts of South Africa.
These are highly organised syndicates, criminal networks that are well armed and have intelligence and are well funded, he said.
