Armed group arrested for attempted takeover of Durban court building site

An armed group of men were arrested on Tuesday when they attempted to take over the Durban high court construction site.

Department of public works spokesperson Thami Mchunu said on Thursday the group, from a local “business forum”, forced their way on to the site, stopped work and chased away contractors appointed by the department.

“The acting director-general of the department, Imtiaz Fazel, issued an instruction for SAPS to be called for assistance and charges to be laid. SAPS and its tactical team responded and arrested six people,” said Mchunu.

“Business forums” have been operating in KwaZulu-Natal since 2016 when members began demanding a share of contracts by threatening workers and taking control of construction sites.

Fazel commended police for their “swift and decisive action” in arresting the group.

“Such disruptions have led to delays in many projects, disrupting service delivery and holding the country to ransom. We reiterate that as a department we will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law anyone who seeks to illegally benefit from state infrastructure projects,” he said.

The project is expected to be completed by September 2025.

“But site invasions such as the one which occurred this week add delays and costs to the project, which is ultimately funded by the taxpayer,” Mchunu said.

The project, which started in May, will cost R850m.

“The project, for the department of justice, is for the redevelopment of the Durban high court, including renovating the existing historic building and the construction of two new buildings to accommodate additional courtrooms and high court staff,” Mchunu said.

“It has required court staff to be relocated during construction. The temporary site of the Durban high court is at the Durban magistrate's court and the provision of alternative buildings was completed on December 7.”

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