There are growing concerns that extortionists are targeting construction workers and the recipients of City of Cape Town construction tenders.

This after City official Wendy Kloppers, 48, was gunned down at a housing site in Delft in February. Her family believes that a "construction mafia" mistook her for the woman who had received the City contract. Both women drove similar cars. 

The City put up a R1-million reward for information that would lead to the prosecution of the gunmen.

The Western Cape Property Development Forum (WCPDF) said the health and safety of construction staff in the City were under threat.

Forum chairperson Deon van Zyl said members constantly informed those in the industry about the impact of so-called construction mafia activities at sites.

"The growth of the construction mafia is very concerning, [not only] because of the threat to the health and safety of construction staff it causes, but also for the health of the economy and service delivery," he said. 

Since the construction industry is a "critical service" in any country's ability to serve its people, the perpetrators are effectively hindering service delivery to the poorest of the poor, he said.

Last month, three contractors were shot at the City's R500-million Delft Symphony Way housing project, prompting the City to put up a R5 000 reward for information on the shooting.

Western Cape police spokesperson, Captain FC van Wyk, previously said the incident was under investigation.

"The motive for the attack is possibly extortion. Delft police are investigating three counts of attempted murder," Van Wyk added.

Van Zyl, however, believes that the so-called construction mafia is targeting projects in disadvantaged areas and focusing on public sector projects. 

"However, there have also been cases of private sector projects being targeted," he said.

"Although there can be no doubt that construction mafia actions include a high level of criminality, we need to be reminded of the fact that the construction sector has shrunk by 25% over the last five years, largely due to delays in the tendering and procurement of public sector projects, as well as the shrinking economy," he said.  

The City's mayoral committee member for human settlements, Malusi Booi, said there was "no excuse for the violence and the slaying of a City official".

Booi said the City followed a transparent procurement process when awarding tenders. 

"All of the City's tenders are published on the City's website as part of our commitment to being transparent and accountable to members of the public," Booi said.

Commenting on the safety measures of the tenders, Booi added that City housing projects had "increasingly come under attack" from criminals, extortionists, and even members of the community.

Measures have since been beefed up at construction sites, and the City's law enforcement officials have been roped in to help protect projects and teams working on the ground, he said.

"We can see many such incidents in communities across the metro where we are rolling out these critical human settlements projects, but many are marred by increasing forceful community interference or intimidation, extortion and gangsterism, threat of unlawful occupation and general theft, vandalism, and criminality," he added.