Durban – KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala has once more condemned those business forums who disrupt construction work and attempt to extort money from construction companies on sites across the province, saying it was not what Radical Economic Transformation (RET) stood for.
Zikalala’s remarks came during his opening address on Wednesday of the Provincial Government Lekgotla in Mayville, Durban, where he reiterated the government’s opposition to business forums disrupting construction work on sites in the province, demanding slices of the contracts and extorting money from contractors.
“There are reports that some of those business forums that go from one site to the other trying to extort money from the people are getting arrested and we want to support that.
“We want to place on record that that is not Radical Economic Transformation, it is crime and should be attended to as such. So this priority of dealing with crime in the province will need all of us, but will need all of us to equally mobilise communities to stand up in support of police,” Zikalala said.
His comments come after the arrest of a gang of six men who allegedly tried to force entry at the Durban High Court construction site two weeks ago with the gang believed to be from a business forum who tried to get on to the site and interrupt workers and contractors.
At the time of the arrests, KZN MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs Ravi Pillay said that they had been clear and consistent in their message on these forums.
“If so-called business fora, or indeed anyone else, want to behave like a Mafia-style protection racket, then the law must take its course swiftly and uncompromisingly. If people want to engage genuinely about empowerment opportunities then our doors will be open for good faith engagement,” Pillay said at the time.
Speaking at the ANC’s provincial January 8 Statement in Mpophomeni, Howick, last month, Zikalala also denounced those who disrupted businesses and construction in the name of RET.
“Those people who go around talking about Radical Economic Transformation, calling themselves a faction of the RET, must know that it is possible to implement the RET within the legislative framework of the government.
“RET is not implemented through hooliganism or factionalism and here in KwaZulu-Natal we have managed to support more than 1 000 SMMEs as part of this RET programme, not as a faction that goes from one province to another dividing the movement,” Zikalala said.
Political Bureau
