By Own Correspondent

Moriel Infrastructure Group, the company linked to Zimbabwean businessman Lawrence Mudzinganyama, has been removed from South Africa’s Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) register, putting hundreds of jobs at risk.

The company’s delisting was announced by Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson after an investigation found Moriel had allegedly misrepresented its financial and technical capacity to secure higher contractor gradings.

With its high-level gradings, Moriel previously qualified for large public contracts, supporting dozens of construction sites and employing many South African workers.

 Now, with Moriel struck off the National Register of Contractors, all existing and upcoming projects with the company are likely to be cancelled or transferred—potentially leading to significant job losses among site workers, engineers, suppliers, and subcontractors who relied on Moriel’s contracts for employment.

While the Ministry insists the investigation was routine and based on due process, the timing—coming soon after a public controversy involving Mudzinganyama—means the fallout is being widely felt. Workers and unions have raised concerns about the economic impact of the removal, which could leave families without income and communities without vital infrastructure work.

The case highlights the challenge for South African authorities: upholding strict standards in the construction industry, while also considering the livelihoods dependent on these companies.