George building collapse: Winde says inquiry will be established if necessary

An inquiry will be established if the results of the ongoing investigations into the building collapse in George are unsatisfactory, says Western Cape Premier Alan Winde.

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

Several investigations by the Western Cape government, the South African Police Services (Saps) and the Department of Employment and Labour are underway.

George collapse inquiry

Responding to a debate on his opening of the Western Cape legislature address on Thursday, Winde indicated that he would establish a commission of inquiry if necessary.

“I do have that power within the Constitution. But I first must give the South African Police Services the space to do and complete their investigation. We are still waiting for that investigation.

“I must give the Department of Labour the space to finish their investigations. They actually have a very serious role to play in this space of making sure that the rules are adhered to, especially on building sites et cetera.

“We also know that I have asked this province, specifically the Department of Infrastructure, to do another investigation,” he said.

The premier confirmed that the provincial department received a preliminary report last week.

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“They are busy working through that report, and they will bring it more than likely to our next cabinet meeting.

“That surely would help us to [give an indication whether] we have got sufficient [evidence] to lay charges [and] to do whatever we need to do.

“As I said yesterday, those who are complicit in the cause of this devastating collapse need to be brought to book. They need to be held to account.”

He said the provincial government was still providing support to the families of the victims of the George building collapse.

“Social workers from the Western Cape Department of Social Development are still providing support to the survivors and families of those who died.

“They have been there from the very beginning. We will continue to make sure that support is there for them. We will continue to make sure that support is there because it is imperative and a must.”

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Consulting engineer, Atholl Mitchell was suspended by the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) in June.

Mitchell’s suspension will remain in place until a decision is reached about possible charges against the engineer or following the completion of a disciplinary process or appeal.

The council had been investigating Mitchell since December 2023.

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 the 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.

READ MORE: Ramaphosa calls for accountability for George building collapse

“The plans were only approved once the building control officer was satisfied that the requirements were met,” the municipality’s statement reads.

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 revealed that it had no record of previous safety violations by the developer within the George municipal area.