The National Council of Provinces wants President Cyril Ramaphosa to approve premier Oscar Mabuyane’s request for the SANDF to be deployed in the Eastern Cape to protect megaprojects threatened by extortion rings.
The call came from the province’s permanent delegates in the NCOP, led by iNkosi Mwelo Nonkonyana, who endorsed Mabuyane’s request — made more than a year ago — saying the deployment of soldiers was necessary and long overdue.
Nonkonyana said the delegates would urge the president to accede to Mabuyane’s request.
He also said the Eastern Cape had lagged behind “for too long” when it came to infrastructure development.
“It is not fair on the companies; it is not fair on communities and ordinary South Africans that a few selfish thugs offer nothing and want to benefit from projects.
“Extortionists are not backing down, which begs the question whether arresting them and imprisoning them is adequate action to mitigate their behaviour,” he said.
In August 2024, Mabuyane welcomed moves to beef up the police in the Eastern Cape to fight extortion syndicates, but said troops were needed to safeguard multibillion-rand government projects.
Any criminal project intended to hold this work back should be dealt with decisively and without fear or hesitation.
— NCOP permanent delegate iNkosi Mwelo Nonkonyana
Eastern Cape Chamber of Business president Vuyisile Ntlabathi and AbaThembu King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo backed the premier’s stance.
Mabuyane singled out Nelson Mandela Bay and the OR Tambo district, particularly Mthatha, which he said had been identified as extortion hot spots.
He said at the time that the rising number of cash-in-transit heists in the province as well as extortion cases, including those involving the “construction mafia” — whose members muscle in on projects, demanding a cut — made it necessary to involve the military.
He said extortionists had threatened the R20bn N2 Wild Coast Road project, the Msikaba and Mtentu bridge megaprojects as well as several multimillion-rand developments involving the upgrading of hospitals and construction of National Health Insurance clinics.
When contacted for comment this week, Mabuyane’s office said officials would deliberate on the matter with the NCOP delegates during their visit to the province for its “provincial week”, which was now under way.
Nonkonyana was speaking after the NCOP held a briefing session with the Eastern Cape’s co-operative governance and human settlements departments and the office of the premier.
While giving its progress report, the provincial government said the Msikaba River Bridge project was 70% complete, with significant progress being made on the pylons. with the north pylon at 72% and south pylon at 85.2%.
About 93% of the project’s R2.711bn budget had been spent and its skills development targets had been exceeded, with R7.9m invested and 825 learners trained.
The first phase of the Umzimvubu Water Project (Ntabelanga and Lalini dams) is at 89% completion. Construction of the project restarted in August.
According to the provincial government’s presentation, though various projects were under way, infrastructure delivery in the Eastern Cape faced persistent obstacles.
“Funding constraints and delays have slowed the implementation of broadband and other projects.
“Community dynamics and stakeholder disputes have also disrupted progress on major initiatives like the Mzimvubu Water Project and Wild Coast bridges.
“Additionally, supply chain disruptions, regulatory delays and bureaucratic processes have affected timelines for catalytic projects like the Port Elizabeth Waterfront and Eastern Seaboard Development.
“Operational issues, including late contractor payments and site-level security threats ... further compromise delivery,” the province’s report reads.
Nonkonyana said the delegation welcomed the fact that the Eastern Cape was “not only a construction site by word but also by deed”.
He said this was evident from a number of new road projects and bridges delegates had observed.
The delegation is set to visit various infrastructure projects, including the Mzimvubu Dam, Ludeke Dam and Msikaba Bridge projects on the Wild Coast and the Ngquza Memorial Hill project.
“We want to see our communities working and benefiting on these mega-infrastructure projects.
“Any criminal project intended to hold this work back should be dealt with decisively and without fear or hesitation,” Nonkonyana said.
The office of the presidency could not be reached for comment by the time of publication.
In September 2024, just a month after the province launched an extortion hotline, a total of 36 cases of extortion were opened in the Eastern Cape and 31 people were arrested in connection with extortion-related allegations.
Daily Dispatch
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.