They started working again last week after they had stopped construction for more than a week.

Desiree Ntshingila from Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency (MEGA) confirmed that they have resumed work and operations have started again.

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“The issues were resolved and the construction company has reached an agreement with the community. Those who worked in the previous phase wanted to be part of the current one. This caused issues. The plan is that they will continue working with some of the labourers and some will not,” she said.

This follows after a group of unidentified men threatened the workers on site and they had to stop with construction.

Themba Camane, general manager of properties and infrastructure at MEGA, told Lowvelder that the contractors stopped their work for safety purposes since they had felt threatened.

According to the reports he received, the men who were threatening the workers were allegedly armed with guns and weapons.

ALSO READ:Threats stops construction at Fresh Produce Market

This was not the first time that the construction was halted. Last year a group of men with pangas went on site and demanded that the labourers stop, although only for a day.

In the past months there have been numerous setbacks with subcontractors protesting due to delays in payments.

In February MEGA said the estimated completion date was the end of 2019, although late last year they said it will be completed by early 2022.

The cost of the market has exceeded the initial estimates that were announced when the project was started.

In 2013 the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs estimated that the would cost R1 billion over five years. In 2015 MEGA said R2 billion would be required to complete the project.