"From my very first day in office, I have been clear that the South African government would not be negotiating with criminals such as the construction mafia but would rather work with all roleplayers to address this scourge in our communities to safeguard our infrastructure projects," said Macpherson.
The minister also expressed his hope that similar actions would be replicated across the country.
"I look forward to similar actions being replicated nationwide. To eradicate the rise of lawlessness at construction sites across the country, it will require that we all work together and make use of new and innovative approaches to fight crime."
[Media Statement] I welcome the cooperation between the private and public sector in Cape Town to fight the construction mafia.
By working together, we will be able to turn the tide #LetsBuildSA pic.twitter.com/K7X2qtLqvk
— Dean Macpherson MP (@DeanMacpherson) August 5, 2024
He plans to meet with local government officials to further discuss strategies against the construction mafia and also announced his commitment to work with the South African Police Service and the South African Revenue Service to identify and expedite accountability for those involved in the construction mafia.
By working together, we will be able to turn the tide against the construction mafia in South Africa.
Macpherson also rolled out his now familiar refrain which stresses the importance of "transforming South Africa into a construction site" to grow the economy and create jobs.
This Cape Town private-public partnership is being billed as a significant step towards this goal.
"The private-public partnership announced in Cape Town will play a big role in achieving this goal and should be a model we look to replicate across the country."
He concluded with a call to action, inviting all to join in building South Africa and breaking the back of the construction mafia.
