KwaZulu-Natal finance MEC Belinda Scott has obtained a protection order against two controversial Durban business forums whose members stormed her office and bullied provincial treasury employees‚ contractors and consultants.

Scott - who was left "terrified and threatened" - had to resort to the courts on October 8 to protect treasury employees and contractors from members of the Delangokubona Business Forum and the Federation for Radical Economic Transformation (FFRET) which are both known for using mafia-style bullying tactics to get a stake in huge government projects.

In terms of the interdict‚ the rogue “business forums” are prevented from threatening‚ interfering‚ intimidating or assaulting officials from the provincial treasury‚ its employees‚ contractors‚ sub-contractors or anyone else acting on the treasury’s behalf.

The forums‚ which have until November 9 to respond to the allegations against them‚ have also been prevented from unlawfully entering government buildings such as Natalia‚ Treasury House‚ Triton Towers‚ Nomalanga Building and the Old Boys Building.

Last month senior KwaZulu-Natal health department officials‚ including head of department Musa Gumede‚ were reportedly held hostage by members of the forums who intimidated and threatened members of a team appointed to investigate financial instability and mismanagement in the health services.

In her affidavit‚ Scott said there had been threats of intimidation perpetrated against all the components of the intervention team tasked by the treasury to address a serious breach of the Public Finance Management Act by the health department.

She had also reported the acts of intimidation of the intervention team and lack of cooperation from health department employees to KwaZulu-Natal premier Willies Mchunu.

Scott said a group of about 40 people who identified themselves as members of the Delangokubona Business Forum also stormed into the reception of her office last month and manhandled her receptionist‚ including attempting to steal her handbag.

They also shouted profanities at her and demanded to see the head of department and tried to force their way through a glass door separating the reception area from Scott’s ministerial offices and her personal office.

Scott‚ who said she was also pursuing criminal charges‚ said after they were told that the acting head of department was on the 11th floor‚ they had “proceeded to that location in a violent‚ threatening and intimidating manner”.

“During this commotion I felt terrified and threatened and was particularly concerned for my staff‚ in that I was rendered helpless in so far as my ability to protect the wellbeing and bodily integrity of my staff. In addition I was furious that these invaders had been allowed access to a government building which is supposed to be secure‚” said Scott.

“The noise and shouting was intimidating in the extreme. The extent of the threat was so real that my personal security insisted that I be evacuated immediately‚ I was reluctant to do as I did not want to leave the remainder of my staff in such dire circumstances.”

She also accused FFRET leader Malusi Zondi of using “abusive racial and threatening insults”‚ including referring to two officials as “Indian dogs”.

Scott said Zondi had allegedly accused the two of manipulating tendering processes in order to benefit Indian-owned companies at the expense of black African-owned companies.

The group also took pictures of the members of the intervention team with their cellphones and made video recordings of the proceedings.

Scott said one video had gone viral on social media.

“This conduct places the life of the intervention team and their family members in grave danger as their faces are all over social media. The members of the intervention team and their families are now living in constant fear‚” Scott said in the court papers.

Both Delangokubona and FFRET were not immediately available for comment.