George building collapse: ‘Prima facie issues warrant further examination’ – Zikalala

Preliminary investigations have indicated concerns that warrant further examination regarding the building collapse in George, Western Cape.

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister, Sihle Zikala visited the site for inspection on Monday.

The apartment building on Victoria Street in George collapsed while still under construction last week Monday, resulting in several fatalities.

George deaths increase

Briefing the media, Zikalala confirmed that the death toll has risen to 30, while 22 people remain unaccounted for as rescue efforts continue.

At the time of the collapse, a total of 81 people were on the site. Of these, 13 are currently hospitalised.

The minister said the incident necessitated his department’s involvement.

“We are here to understand the circumstances surrounding this incident,” he said on Monday afternoon.

“The purpose of our visit is to ascertain the role of professionals who were involved with this project and assess if there was sufficient compliance with all building and environment regulations and to establish if there is no misconduct committed by the professionals leading to this disaster,” Zikalala explained.

He told the media that the site was still a crime scene with work being undertaken by the law enforcement agencies – including the South African Police Service (Saps).

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“Therefore, [it is] only accessible to the Saps and the disaster management teams. However, there is a preliminary report which present prima facie issues that warrant further examination regarding this disaster.”

Zikalala said it was established that the main contractor was not registered with the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), which regulates the construction industry.

This was not a requirement for private companies.

“In the current legislation, the contractors working in the private sector do not undergo this assessment.”

He highlighted that the CIDB Bill was aimed at addressing this gap. The public has until 31 May to comment on the draft law.

The minister also revealed that two complaints had been reported to the authorities about one of the people linked to the construction project.

Furthermore, Zikalala emphasised the need for collaboration among different government departments to address the disaster effectively.

He expressed the Department of Public Works’ support for the Department of Employment and Labour launching an independent investigation into the collapse.

The minister added that those responsible will be held accountable.

On Sunday, Police Minister Bheki Cele indicated that contractors have not been forthcoming with information requested by police after the collapse.

Cele, who visited the site, told the media that the police’s investigation was under way.

George building development plans

According to the George Local Municipality, a pre-application form for the proposed development was submitted to its town planning department by Jan Vrolijk Town Planner, acting on behalf of the owners of land, on 3 September 2020.

The building plan application was approved on 6 July 2023, and issued to the applicant, Deon van der Westhuizen Architects.

“The outcome for approval follows two prior outcomes not to approve the building plan based on details required regarding services and outstanding contributions. The plans were only approved once the building control officer was satisfied that the requirements were met,” the municipality’s statement reads.

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The development was estimated at over R39 million.

At the time of the incident, construction had progressed up to and included the concrete roof “with various other disciplines busy with service installations”.

“The municipality has no record of previous safety violations by the developer within the George municipal area.”