Construction firm seeks to interdict BDF delaying work on R132m hotel

The controversial Delangokubona Business Forum (DBF) again found themselves before the Durban High Court on Monday as a construction company moved to interdict them from impeding work on a R132-million inner city hotel.

Innova Turnkey had brought an application against the forum‚ as well as another off-shoot called Isivuthevuthe Se-Theku Forum‚ to prevent their members from hamstringing construction at the site in the CBD. The notorious forum has taken on the largest construction firms in South Africa — a situation that many believe has put civil works projects worth billions of rand‚ from pipelines to hospitals and from malls to roads in KwaZulu-Natal‚ at risk.

In February a R1.8-billion revamp of Tsogo Sun’s Suncoast Casino complex was halted by the forum‚ which is accused of using threats of violence‚ intimidation and extortion to get lucrative construction work.

Innova Turnkey security manager Gideon Rousseau said in an affidavit that members of the forums had shut down their construction site earlier this year.

“Approximately 30 members of the Delangokubona Business Forum arrived on site and locked employees in a container. They were eventually freed‚” he said.

He described a second incident a month later where forum members demanded a meeting with site managers.

“From their aggressive demeanour they were clearly intent on causing a disruption and a disturbance on site. They prevented workers from entering and leaving through the main gate.”

The forum was eventually rebuffed when police and security personnel were called to the scene. The order of the court interdicting the forums from further disrupting work was confirmed in July.

Lawyers for Innova Turnkey on Monday applied to have the rule discharged against Isivuthevuthe Se-Theku Forum as they could not successfully serve the order on them.