Extortionists and illegal occupations are compounding Cape Town’s housing backlog.
Hill-Lewis said the city on Thursday approved a “R15m top-up budget for additional security for housing construction sites”.
“Where completed units are invaded, the city will not hesitate to initiate eviction proceedings to reverse this injustice and theft from the rightful beneficiaries.” he said Threats to contractors and staff had affected housing projects around Cape Town, including Delft Eindhoven, Valhalla Park, Gugulethu, Bardale 4C in Mfuleni, Sir Lowry’s Pass Village, Sheffield Road in Philippi, and Beacon Valley in Mitchells Plain.
“Extortion threats take various forms. Local ‘business forums’ were behind these threats in the case of the Philippi and Mfuleni projects. In other instances, attempts by local subcontractors to muscle in on project work were behind disruptions,” he said. “Intimidation tactics have become extremely violent in some cases, with four construction staff members shot and incidents of petrol bombing leading to the cancellation of two civil contracts worth R140m at the city’s Beacon Valley project.”
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