Hawks considering DA request for construction mafia to be declared a national priority crime

12 July 2023

Following our submissions to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), in which we called for the construction mafia and their activities to be declared a national priority crime, the Hawks have written back to the DA informing us that our request had been received and brought to the attention of Lt General Godfrey Lebeya (Head of the Hawks) for consideration.

The DA welcomes the Hawks’ active prioritisation of this request and looks forward to a speedy determination that would galvanise our law enforcement infrastructure in the fight against the construction mafia.

On 6 July, the DA wrote to Lt Gen. Lebeya asking him to use his authority in terms of Section 17D of the South African Police Service Act, 1995 to officially designate the construction mafia and its related extortion activities as a national priority crime.

Groups behind the construction mafia are engaging in crimes of economic sabotage, to such an extent that their activities now pose a direct threat to economic stability and investment in the construction industry. The mafia groups have become emboldened and brazen in their sabotage tactics because they have been allowed to get away with murder for a very long time.

Lt. Gen Lebeya is empowered, in terms of Section 17D(1)(a) of the Act to prevent, combat and investigate “national priority offences, which in the opinion of the Head of the Directorate need to be addressed by the Directorate”. The Act defines a national priority crime as organised crime, crime that requires national prevention or investigation, or crimes that requires specialised skills in the prevention or investigation thereof.

The construction mafia fits into the category of organised crime which has assumed a national profile, requiring that it be declared a national priority crime in terms of the law.

Issued by Sello Seitlholo, DA Shadow Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, 12 July 2023