Accountability questions linger 16 months after deadly George building collapse

Reluctance to release the names or those responsible for the George Building Collapse in a bid to shield regulatory bodies and various departments is what political parties believe may be the reason why the answers have not been delivered 16 months after the tragedy.

The Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure announced that they did not receive the full forensic report due to its sensitive nature.

The Victoria Street tragedy on May 8, 2024 claimed the lives of 34 people and left 28 injured.

During a media briefing held in Cape Town this week, between DPWI, the Council for Built Environment (CBE) and Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), Carol Phiri, Committee Chairperson said it was vital that joint stakeholders urgently meet and for a public participation process to take place in George, stating they "needed to go further into the investigation", as accountability was missing.

“There is nothing to tell the people of South Africa, but what we are getting is that they are afraid to go after the contractor based on legalities, Phiri said. 

“It is a shame that, as the committee, we are unable to get the answers we need to properly understand who was negligent in the collapse of the building that resulted in deaths and injuries to workers.

“It is unfortunate that the forensic report is not with us as the Department of Public Works feels that it contains sensitive information and the committee will have to view the report in camera first.”

The committee recommended that relevant departments, including Human Settlements, Home Affairs, Employment and Labour, the South African Police Service, and other relevant stakeholders, meet to determine the root cause of the building’s collapse.

Political parties also had their say on the matter as watchdogs, citing that accountability was being evaded in a bid to protect the interests of others.

Chantelle Kyd, GOOD George Councillor said: “But while the outrage is warranted, the proposed solution, to hold a closed-door, in-camera meeting, is not.

 “Parliament’s Public Works Committee heard damning details this week that the building illegally expanded from four to five storeys, that workers raised alarms just days before the collapse, that a health and safety inspector mysteriously resigned mid-construction, and that a reported engineer has already faced multiple complaints. Yet, the forensic reports remain partially concealed, under the excuse of ongoing litigation and criminal investigations.

Muhammad Khalid Sayed, MPL and leader of the ANC in the Western Cape Provincial Legislature agreed: “The ANC in the Western Cape Legislature welcomes the remarks of the National Assembly's Portfolio Committee on the matter. We have been consistent in raising this matter in the Legislature and will continue to do so. Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) Minister  Dean Macpherson has followed the same trend as Premier Alan Winde by seeking to absolve the Municipality from blame. 

“In order to prevent this sad occurrence from happening again, we need to know what went wrong.”

On the anniversary of the tragedy, Macpherson said: "I commit to returning to George and meeting the families personally to explain the findings, and not simply expect them to read about this in the newspaper.

In June, Macpherson received the final report from the CBE, through its body Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA).

George Municipality Communications Manager, Chantèl Edwards, Municipal Manager told Cape Argus while they shared the concern over this tragic incident, they remained committed to supporting the relevant authorities as required.

The municipality itself was also honoured to receive a Certificate of Recognition from the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) for its outstanding hands-on commitment and service in humanitarian efforts, search, rescue, and recovery operations during the collapse.

The police’s Sergeant Christopher Spies said the investigation was at an advanced stage when queried by Cape Argus.

The Department of Employment and Labour’s Provincial Chief Inspector David Esau did not respond to queries.

Earlier the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) confirmed that the Engineer was charged with various violations of the Code of Conduct.

The collapse was as a result of multiple failures such as systematic failures, non-compliance with regulations and mismanagement and that various parties were to be held accountable.

Macpherson said that serious safety concerns were ignored and that workers noticed cracks in columns, strange vibrations in the slab, and even visible holes through the walls in the basement while some of these observations were made as early as 2023.

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Cape Argus