How construction mafia tactics are choking broadband in our townships

IN THE QUIET chaos of South Africa's townships, where digital connectivity holds the promise of economic liberation, an insidious force has taken root, one borrowed from the dusty construction trenches but now entrenched in the corridors of fibre broadband roll-outs. Enter the so-called “construction mafia’, a term once synonymous with hijacked building projects, now creeping dangerously into the ICT sector.

- LUVO GREY

At first glance, the broadband industry and concrete mixers seem worlds apart. But dig a little deeper, into the pavements where fibre must be trenched, the poles where wireless antennas must rise, and you'll find eerie parallels. Where there is trenching, there is access to lucrative contracts. And where there is access to capital and opportunity, there is a criminal element lurking with a clipboard and a demand: “Give us our 30% or stop your project.”

This isn’t metaphorical. It’s become the lived experience of dozens of fibre network operators, small ISPs, and even state-funded connectivity initiatives in township communities across the Eastern Cape and beyond.

The effect? Broadband infrastructure projects, some privately backed, others public sector-driven, are being stalled, sabotaged or forcefully redirected to benefit self-appointed “business forums” operating as gatekeepers of ward-based development. The Origins of a Misused Mandate The infamous “30%” demand did not arise from thin air.

In 2017, amendments to South Africa’s Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act (PPPFA) mandated that at least 30% of certain public contracts be allocated to designated groups, cooperatives, youth, women, military veterans and black-owned SMMEs. In its essence, the policy was designed to accelerate economic inclusion and empower those long locked out of mainstream procurement. What began as a well intentioned policy instrument has since mutated in township spaces, particularly within ICT infrastructure deployment, into a racket.

In many cases, these forums don't register formal businesses, possess no technical capability to deliver fibre works, and offer no community uplift-ment. Instead, they appear onsite with demands backed by intimidation. Disturbingly, they often do so in collusion with powerful political or local actors who benefit from the chaos.

Fibre Under Siege