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The DA in the Western Cape condemns the shooting of three construction workers in Delft on Saturday, at the site of a housing development. This comes a week after the Standing Committee on Human Settlements met with stakeholders in the province to report on the extent of the extortion crisis in the housing sector.

Despite the estimated R18 million the Provincial Department of Infrastructure is projected to spend on security annually and the City of Cape Town’s R987 million security budget which a substantial amount of is allocated towards protecting construction sites, extortion incidents continue to occur.

This is yet another reason why a new model for the SAPS is urgently needed – one that will guarantee that more time and resources are streamlined to combatting and prosecuting the construction mafia syndicates which extort and intimidate public infrastructure projects.

During the Standing Committee meeting last week, the SAPS confirmed that only 14 cases of housing extortion were reported with just five suspects arrested.

Several incidents involving extortion threats, violent conduct and intimidation of employees by unidentified men were reported to the SAPS in early 2022:

At an incident in the Gugulethu Mau Mau project, at the end of August 2022, four unknown men entered the site and assaulted a staff member from the electrical consultants. The staff member received medical treatment due to injuries sustained.

Threats and violent attacks on a contractor’s staff in 2017 were made which resulted in the Valhalla Park project being suspended with new threats made in January 2023, affecting 781 beneficiaries.

It is unfortunate that the rate of arrest is so low in connection with cases of housing extortion. This has dissuaded contractors from reporting additional incidents as they no longer have confidence in the police.

The DA wishes the workers of the Delft shooting a speedy recovery after the hospitalisation and further urge that the SAPS ensure that this attempted murder is investigated decisively and diligently.

Issued by Matlhodi Maseko, MPP - DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Human Settlements