Deadly George building collapse was 'entirely preventable': Macpherson
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:
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;
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;
concrete used in the slabs did not meet required specifications and this was a basic material failure;
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);
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;
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;
There was a lack of coordination between regulatory authorities including planning departments, NHBRC inspectors, DPWI professionals, and labour officials; and
The National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act which was last meaningfully amended in 1996 is outdated.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.
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