For years, the “construction mafia” has been the ghost in the machine of South Africa’s development, halting vital projects, intimidating workers, and holding infrastructure to ransom. The solution, it seems, may not lie in more police vans, but in a different kind of authority altogether.
In a significant and symbolic move, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure is turning to a centuries-old institution for a modern-day problem. They have enlisted the support of Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini and the network of amakhosi (traditional leaders) to tackle the criminal syndicates plaguing building sites and to breathe life into rural development in KwaZulu-Natal.
A Meeting of Minds at the Royal Palace
The strategy emerged from a historic courtesy visit by a high-level government delegation to the eMashobeni Royal Palace in Pongola. This wasn’t a mere photo opportunity; it was a working session where Minister Dean Macpherson and his team laid out their infrastructure plans directly before the monarch.
The King, acknowledging the gesture of respect, stated the meeting was about “strengthening ties and workmanship” and that they had “found great solutions for developing our rural communities.” This set a tone of collaboration, not just ceremony.
The King’s Role in a New Legal Weapon
At the heart of the discussion was a groundbreaking new policy: the Social Facilitation Framework. Minister Macpherson revealed that this framework, soon to be presented to cabinet, aims to make community participation a legal requirement for government building projects.
This is the strategic masterstroke. Instead of communities being hijacked by a violent few, the framework would legally empower them, giving them a direct stake and ownership in local projects. This, the government believes, is the ultimate “fight-back tool” against the construction mafia. If the community itself is a beneficiary and protector of a project, it becomes far harder for outsiders to disrupt it.
Crucially, King Misuzulu threw his full support behind this policy. “His Majesty understood its importance in bringing communities into projects by law so they can protect and look after them,” Macpherson said.
Beyond Security: A Broader Development Pact
The collaboration extends beyond tackling crime. The discussions covered a wide-ranging development agenda for the province:
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Ingonyama Trust Land: A long-standing issue of unsurveyed government properties on trust land will be resolved through a new memorandum of understanding, ensuring municipalities receive the rates they are due.
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Job Creation: KZN will be a pilot province for reforms to the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), with the King himself agreeing to unveil the new initiative.
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Major Projects: The King was briefed on a R300 million schools infrastructure project near Ulundi and the R1 billion renovation of the Durban High Court.
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Rural Connectivity: A new initiative will see cellphone towers installed on government properties, starting in the underserved uMkhanyakude district.
KZN Public Works MEC Martin Meyer captured the spirit of the meeting, calling it “a moment of unity and shared purpose,” proving that “this government is for all the people.”
The meeting concluded with a symbolic gift of two cattle to the King, a gesture deeply rooted in cultural respect. It underscored that this new partnership is built not just on policy documents, but on a foundation of mutual recognition. In the fight to rebuild South Africa, the government is learning that the strongest foundation often lies in the wisdom of its oldest traditions.
{Source: Timeslive}
