Deadly George building collapse was 'entirely preventable': Macpherson

The tragedy of the partially completed building which collapsed in Victoria Street in the George municipality and claimed 34 lives in May last year was "entirely preventable".

Public works and infrastructure minister Dean Macpherson, who released the findings of investigative reports into the building collapse following a meeting with families on Saturday, said the results were "serious, far-reaching and in many respects alarming".

He said he would introduce a number of legislative reforms, including modernising regulations to avoid future tragedies and establishing a hotline for construction stakeholders to report safety concerns.

Macpherson called for a police investigation into those criminally responsible for the tragedy. He said the Council for the Built Environment report found eight major faults:

1. Serious safety concerns were raised well before the collapse as workers noticed cracks in columns, strange vibrations in the slab, and even visible holes through the walls in the basement as early as 2023;
2. Despite these warning signs, site managers reportedly instructed workers to patch the damage with sand and mortar, rather than halting construction and escalating the matter for formal investigation;
3. concrete used in the slabs did not meet required specifications and this was a basic material failure;
4. The so-called “competent person” responsible for the structural system did not have the necessary competency requirements to oversee a project of this complexity (a five-storey building);
5. The geotechnical study of the site, critical in determining soil stability and groundwater conditions, was not only incomplete, but grossly deficient with key tests and geological mappings being missing;
6. The Health and Safety Agent appointed to monitor site compliance resigned midway through the project saying they could no longer ensure safe working conditions. This was not reported to any of the relevant authorities which would halted construction;
7. There was a lack of coordination between regulatory authorities including planning departments, NHBRC inspectors, DPWI professionals, and labour officials; and 
8. The National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act which was last meaningfully amended in 1996 is outdated.

Parallel to this investigation, the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) investigated the culpability of the engineer involved in the construction project.

The full ECSA investigation report will soon be published in the government gazette and an appeal window to these finding is currently underway which expires on August 3.

This report must form part the police investigation to establish criminal negligence for what happened, he said.

"If criminal wrongdoing is established, those responsible must be prosecuted without delay. We must ensure that people are held accountable for 34 souls losing their life."

The reforms will be carried out in three phases as follows:

• Phase 1 from 2025 to 2026: Immediate interventions, including new regulations, mandatory standards and emergency protocols;
• Phase 2 from 2026 to 2028: Implementation of long-term reform, including legislative amendments and competency-based registration systems; and
• Phase 3 from 2028 onwards: Institutional consolidation and relocation of custodianship of building regulations functions and standards to the department of public works & infrastructure.

A total of 34 people died and 28 were injured. Among those on the site were South Africans, Mozambicans, Malawians and Zimbabweans.

Macpherson said he had noted how the tragedy had taken a toll on the families of the dead and injured workers. "There is great suffered in the families. They struggle to put food on the table, pay medical costs and have psychological challenges," he said.

"We are exploring options with the department of social development and NGOs to provide relief or support to the families most affected, including those who have lost primary breadwinners. We also take seriously the vulnerabilities faced by foreign nationals on construction sites, many of whom work under exploitative or undocumented conditions."

As political parties, it didn't help to abuse the situation for political gain, he added.

George building collapse survivor Elelwani Mawela of Limpopo spoke about the sadness she experienced after the tragedy. She said while she survived it was difficult to talk about as she burst into tears and was comforted by Macpherson.

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