In this article, Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) chairperson Thabo Masombuka writes that the impact of construction disruptions is costly for skills development in the sector.

Recent challenges facing the country’s infrastructure portfolio have come to include site invasions and disruptions that have placed a number of lives at high risk, prompting the Minister of Police to establish a special task team to respond to this cowardly act of mindless thuggery.

Although this has all the hallmarks of criminality, the factors that result in site invasion and disruptions are indeed concerning.

Not only must such a situation not be allowed to continue, but a sustainable solution needs to be found if the profitability and productivity of the South African economy is to be realised. A sustainable solution will inevitably require an integrated approach in the implementation of infrastructure projects to avoid perceptions that local communities and businesses are excluded from participation.

At the centre of this integrated approach, is certainly going to be an emphasis on skills development programmes, which will enable the creation of employment opportunities and other forms of livelihood around construction sites across the country.

Without the development of critical skills, the South African construction sector will be like a pizza served without a base. Infrastructure, in general, particularly skilled and specialised skills, is the backbone of every economic growth and sustainability.

It is against this background that the Construction Education and Training Authority’s (CETA's) role as a custodian, facilitator and provider of skills development and learnerships becomes even more relevant and critical.

The CETA’s mandate is to implement the objectives of the National Skills Development Strategy (NSDP 2030), which is also enshrined in the South African Constitution and the Skills Development Act 97 of 1998, and cannot be allowed to be obliterated by the construction mafia. For the CETA to continue existing and providing its services; the construction sector must survive and flourish. Strategic action needs to be taken sooner than later.

It is a known fact that many attempts by various businesses and groupings within the construction sector to engage with construction disruptions have not progressed in the manner as envisaged.

This is so much that a number of court interventions have not yielded any profitable and peaceful results. This is attributable to failure by the law enforcement agencies to take serious action against these criminals, who sometimes are fronting as legitimate business forums.

The following strategies, if supported by research and commitment, can produce good results:  

First, there is a need for cooperation between all stakeholders, namely law enforcement agencies, business, communities and media. The police should be encouraged to respond appropriately to violence and intimidation and disruptions of operations at construction sites by these criminals.

Secondly, there should be visible police response to curtail site invasions and disruptions. A specialised and dedicated unit that will focus on this should be created to respond in time to incidents of violence and intimidations. Criminals need to be separated from genuine legitimate local businesses that genuinely seek work opportunities.

Although government has condemned the actions of the so-called construction mafia, no significant action has been taken against them when they invaded construction sites and used violence as a means of extortion. This has resulted in some form of legitimisation and impunity for the mafia; hence this continues to flourish.  

Thirdly, a conducive environment should be created to enable the victims of extortion to report the crime. Media, on the other hand, should make sure that the construction mafia are exposed to the public for who they really are, including all their illegal actions at construction sites. The public should be shown how the mafia actions not only affect businesses, but their livelihoods. Ripple effects of the construction mafia on the communities should be published for the communities to see.  It is vital that the construction mafia be delegitimised publicly.

Fourthly, there is a need for strong partnerships between communities and businesses and the development of early warning signs to detect and prevent extortion. Communities should be conscientised of the impact of construction mafia on their lives. For example, when the construction company that has been a constant victim of extortion decides to abandon the contract or project, many people lose their jobs. The CETA’s services are also affected considering that it exists to facilitate skills development services in the construction sector. If the construction sector declines, it will severely hamper the efforts by CETA to ensure that scarce and critical skills are developed and become available to the sector.

This will result in a heightened unemployment rate because the provision of skills and learnerships plays a significant role by introducing first time jobseekers in the sector.  By forcing the construction companies to employ their own people who do not meet the criteria, the construction mafia are also defeating the process of providing relevant and critical skills.

Unlike the CETA, which researches what skills employers need, those who disrupt construction sites do not prioritise work and skills development.

It is, therefore, important for the government, CETA, construction business, law enforcement and communities to work together in purging the construction mafia rot in the sector. A recent productive lesson of collaboration between business and communities is the 2021 July riots and looting. When the taxi owners and communities realised the impact looting was having on them as stakeholders, they worked together to safeguard businesses in their areas. This played a significant role in ending the looting and unrest. Had the collaboration not happened, more damage could have been done and looting would have lasted longer.

Communities should be made aware about such developments and the impact that these disruptions have on economic sustainability. This should be nipped in the bud and not allowed to continue causing untold damage to the economic growth of this country!

The CETA is playing a vital role redressing the skills anomalies of the past by giving previously disadvantaged individuals training and education within workplaces, thus helping government to reduce unemployment and realise the development goals of the National Development Plan 2030. If the actions of the mafia go unhindered, these development goals will remain a pipe dream.

We call upon the Government to devise a strategy to root out this anarchy and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book.

*Masombuka is CETA chairperson and the former CEO of the Construction Sector Charter Council.