Contractor goes to court over intimidation
The owner of a construction company building a mall in Burgersfort, Limpopo, has lodged an urgent application to stop community leaders in the area from intimidating his employees and sub-contractors.
In his affidavit to the court Barend Becker, managing director of Pretoria-based Beckers Bouaannemers, claims community leaders in the Burgersfort area have been disturbing his construction work.
The matter is to be heard in the Pretoria High Court on Tuesday.
There are eight respondents whom Becker claims are responsible for the intimidation.
They are community leader Jackson Tjatji; the municipality's Ward 18 community liaison officer Mary Gasebotoe Malepe; Ward 18 councillor Anna Masete; her husband Willem Mnisi, to whose bank account some of the money was allegedly channelled; bank employee Elias Phala; ANC Youth League secretary in GaManoke village Eddie Maila; Ward 18 league chairman Mandla Mabusa; and the Platinum Forum - a group claiming to represent role-players in the project.
Becker said to execute the project he had to enter into contracts with local sub-contractors to make use of local labourers.
He had to appoint Malepe to source the local labour and liaise with all interested parties to ensure that labourers were evenly distributed among various communities in the area.
Becker said work started on June 25 and is scheduled to be completed on May 22 next year.
He said the local sub-contractors and local employees worked together to prevent other sub-contractors and Becker's employees from continuing with work.
He said the leaders then demanded R105,000, which would be divided among them, for protection from any unprotected strikes.
On September 3, he said, Tjatji, Masete and Mabusa demanded a further R105,000 to "close the chapter", which he said he understood to mean was to protect him from further industrial action.
On both occasions he paid the money, which he wants back.
- frankm@sowetan.co.za

Comments
Traveljunie
yes offcourse the ANC would be party to this, criminal is in their blood it is how they do things.Why do people always resort to low life scum tactics to make money for which they are not entitled.
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!!!Sinudeity!!!
Good luck with that. Seems like doing business in his case, is like doing business with the mafia.Report Abuse
mbondo
Why did they allowed this booer to operate there at the first place, whites in general should be stopped from doing business in SA at all. Black people should take over this contract and build that mall finish.Report Abuse
!!!Sinudeity!!!
mbondo - Whites doing business in SA is what allows you to receive your montly grant dude.Report Abuse
SHANDIS
#mbondo Do by mistake have any skills. Remember that equity audit that black managers are no yet placed at top manaegement, but in Limpopo they are, Thats y that province is full of problems. its beacuse of people like youReport Abuse
SHANDIS
@mbondoDo you by mistake have any skills. Remember that equity audit that black managers are no yet placed at top manaegement, but in Limpopo they are, Thats y that province is full of problems. its beacuse of people like you
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2shy2call
Ok I hear you its wrong it suppose to be done in a right way. But who did you pay money too? Show the proof of a deposit slip. Don't tell us you paid it cash and the was no receipt,who in the world of business can do that?By the way you said your name is? Off course Barend Becker you are a lier. They might have told you about employing locals yes it make sense because the very same community will be supporting the mall.
Why must they not be part of the workers?
Damn B0er
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ApelMankotsana
@mbondo- That is irresponsible. How many bridges, roads and RDP houses built by Black owned and run companies have collapsed. Some few months there were reports that the Minister of Human Settlement has budgeted over R 4 billion rands to re-do the RDP houses built by BEE companies who are closely related to the ruling party. There were reports here in Limpopo that the bridges buil by SGL Engineering have collapsed within a year of them been built. The list is endless. Not every Black company is doing that but what we need is quality, irrespective of the colour.Report Abuse
!!!Sinudeity!!!
2shy2call - Haters will hate.Report Abuse
!!!Sinudeity!!!
Yet again, its up to the bo3r to provide work for local communities :PReport Abuse
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