Mafia robbing South Africa of R17 billion a year

• The construction mafia is estimated to be robbing South Africa of R17 billion a year through extortion and intimidation.
• Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson has been tackling the construction mafia, resulting in 266 arrests and 241 convictions, as well as a significant reduction in construction-related disruptions in KwaZulu-Natal.
• The government aims to restore trust in the industry by clarifying legislation and blacklisting contractors who fail to deliver value for money, with 52 companies blacklisted in the past two years.