Ministers reflect on one year since George building collapse

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson says a report on the George building collapse conducted by the Council for the Built Environment and its body, the Engineering Council of South Africa, is expected to be completed by the end of May.

Tuesday marked the one-year anniversary of the building collapse which claimed the lives of 34 people and injured 28 others.

Macpherson said government’s responsibility now was to fix what is broken and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.

“That is why I have insisted that transparency guides our work, and that those who fail in their duties, whether public servants or professionals, must face the consequences,” the Minister said.

An independent forensic investigation into the building collapse in the Western Cape, in April, revealed systemic failures at multiple levels. The report cited widespread non-compliance with regulatory standards and mismanagement by both the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) and project personnel as key causes of the incident.

The findings, presented by Human Settlements Minister, Thembi Simelane, revealed a series of procedural and structural failures, including irregular project enrolment, inspection lapses, poor material quality, and violations of occupational health and safety (OHS) protocols.

Speaking at the one-year commemoration at the George Town Hall collapse on Tuesday, Macpherson said all role-players should work together to achieve justice for the victims and their families.

“We remember every life lost. We mourn every dream of a future life that was cut short that day. We honour and thank our brave men and women, as well as canines in the South African Police Service, who worked day and night to lead the rescue and recovery effort at that site,” Macpherson said.

Human Settlements Minister, Thembi Simelane, has called upon the building industry to use the incident of the George building collapse to recommit to the laws regulating the industry.

“We will leave no stone unturned. I have directed the NHBRC board to ensure that all recommendations in this report are fully implemented. I expect them to give regular reports on the latter’s implementation”, said Minister Simelane.

‘’Minister Simelane has full confidence that investigations will lead to those implicated being held accountable. Minister Simelane further assured the public that NHBRC is not a toothless regulator. Through its Disciplinary Committee, it will continue to take firm actions against non-compliant and unethical builders, as its main role is to protect the housing consumer,’’ said Tsekiso Machike, Spokesperson to the Minister.

 

Done by: Mitchum George