In the run-up to the 2016 local government elections, business forums emerged in Durban’s townships.
When the new metro council took office, these forums, the most prominent of which was Delangokubona, soon made their presence felt, especially in the construction industry. Their demands for a substantial share of building and infrastructural work were accompanied by intimidation, threats, and violence.
The number of forums proliferated countrywide, forming a federation. Their impact on South Africa’s economy – estimated at R68