Latest news with #NeoVictoria
IOL News
4 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Collapsing buildings: lapses in safety and security in the construction sector
The Tongaat Mall Image: File ACCORDING to Jomo Sibiya, Deputy of Employment and Labour, the South African construction sector has one of the highest accident rates in the country, with 1.5 to two fatalities per week, and is classified as one of the top four high-risk industries in the country. Building collapses occur when a structure fails and partially or fully collapses, endangering human lives and health. This can result from various factors, including structural failures, poor construction practices, and external forces like fires or earthquakes. The effects of a building collapse can be devastating, leading to loss of life, injuries, property damage, and significant economic and social disruption. On May 6, 2024, the Neo Victoria project, a residential building under construction, collapsed in George, Western Cape, killing 34 workers and injuring 28. The George Building Collapse was a tragic disaster and one of the worse in the South African construction industry. President Ramaphosa extended his condolences: 'We know that many of you are in grief. There's no worse grief than people who have lost their loved ones… We are here to give comfort, and there will be a need for… psychosocial support. And when that is the case, we will have people who will give that support … There will be assistance for those who are in hospital to be well treated, there will be assistance for those who have to be buried. There will also be compensation that will have to go through the channels of our various institutions.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Most of the deceased were foreign undocumented labourers from Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe. To date, there is no record of their names. After all, in South Africa, undocumented migrant labourers are expendable. The Minister of Human Settlements, Thembi Simelane presented a report by the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) to the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements on 4 April 2025: 'It's a report which indicates the failure of our systems at the NHBRC … There was a lapse of enrolment requirements which were overlooked by our internal staff at the council …There was a lapse …with regard to the structural engineering and drawings and the details which were not fully disclosed as they should have been… We also had missing detailed material information about the construction… The contractor cut corners. Our system enabled him to cut corners by not following our standard operating procedures and even approving without the fulfilment of all the necessary attachments that needed to be done.' There were also design flaws, poor quality concrete, and safety alerts were overlooked. Four construction workers lost their lives and one survived following the collapse of an embankment at a construction site in Zen Drive, Ballito, on 18 May 2024. On 29 March 2025, two workers employed by a construction firm were digging a trench on Canehaven Drive, Phoenix, when a retaining wall and sand and metal reinforcement fell on them. It was established that the deceased were Mozambican nationals. On November 19, 2013, a section of the second floor of the partly completed Tongaat Mall collapsed, killing two and injuring 29 construction workers. Construction of the Tongaat Mall had commenced without the building plans being approved. Gralio Precast, the company developing the mall, was a beneficiary of many tenders from the eThekwini Metro. A commission of inquiry was appointed by the Department of Labour and chaired by Inspector Phumudzo Maphaha to investigate this collapse. The investigation found that the collapse was due to substandard construction work and several contraventions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Construction Regulations which included the following: poor plan design; the contractor's failure to comply with regulations; contraventions of the Safety and Health regulation; missing steels and columns; lack of supervision on site; an important site diary was missing; lack of health and safety audits; and inappropriate building materials (cement imported from Pakistan did not meet South African Bureau of Standards requirements). These reasons can be attributed to a reckless, calculated strategy by the developer to save construction costs and compromise the safety of onsite workers. For example, a beam with insufficient steel bars may have led to the collapse. According to an engineer, the beam should have had 19 steel bars. Also, some of the concrete utilised was less than a third of the required strength. In May 2016, the then Minister of Labour Mildred Oliphant acknowledged that while there was clear evidence of impropriety, she was not in a position to give the names of people and companies implicated. Instead, she handed over the inquiry results to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in KwaZulu-Natal for further investigation and action. However, as reported by News 24, eight years on in May 2024, Natasha Ramkissoon-Kara, spokesperson for the NPA, said that 'Investigations are ongoing, and we are therefore not in a position yet to make any decision in respect of the matter.' However, it is a common cause that the NPA has a poor history of initiating prosecutions and achieving convictions in high-profile cases involving malfeasance. This delay by the NPA in investigating and prosecuting those implicated in deliberately compromising safety in the construction sector has national implications. An analysis conducted for the South African Institute of Occupational Health (SAIOSH) in May 2024 by Professor of Construction Management at Nelson Mandela University, John Smallwood, emphasised the ongoing safety issues and the need for extensive measures to enhance the industry's health and safety practices. According to Professor of Smallwood: 'There is no such thing as an accident … noting that what are traditionally termed accidents are often the result of management failures …Workers exposed to hazards and risks are people with a body, mind, and soul, who invariably have a partner, a family, and are derived from a community.' He emphasised that unforeseen accidents are often 'planned by default' through actions or inactions, highlighting the necessity for a change in the industry's safety approach. Lennie Samuel, a senior inspector and forensic investigator at the Department of Labour, similarly contended that the absence of oversight and management failures is the main reason for collapsing buildings. The causes of most of the incidents examined could be traced to senior management, who only fix the immediate causes or symptoms rather than the underlying issues. Regrettably, the outcomes frequently result in injuries, disabilities, deaths and collapses. A comprehensive strategy is essential to decrease accidents in the South African construction sector, including training, recognising hazards, appropriate tools and processes, and implementing robust site management practices and a robust safety culture. This involves complying with applicable regulations, fostering effective communication, and promoting employee safety, health and welfare. Professor Brij Maharaj Image: File Professor Brij Maharaj is a geography professor at UKZN. He writes in his personal capacity. ** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media. THE POST
Daily Maverick
6 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Collapsing buildings and lapses in safety bedevil the SA construction sector
The construction sector has one of the highest accident rates of any industry in South Africa, with 1.5 to two fatalities per week. It is classified as one of the top four high-risk industries in the country, according to Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Jomo Sibiya. Building collapses occur when a structure fails and partially or fully collapses, endangering human lives and health. This can result from various factors, including structural failures, poor construction practices and external forces such as fires or earthquakes. The effects of a building collapse can be devastating, leading to loss of life, injuries, property damage and significant economic and social disruption. George disaster On 6 May 2024, the Neo Victoria project, a residential building under construction, collapsed in George, Western Cape, killing 34 workers and injuring 28 – a tragic disaster and among the worst in the South African construction industry. President Cyril Ramaphosa said, in extending his condolences, that 'we know that many of you are in grief. There's no worse grief than people who have lost their loved ones… We are here to give comfort, and there will be a need for… psychosocial support. And when that is the case, we will have people who will give that support… There will be assistance for those who are in hospital to be well treated, there will be assistance for those who have to be buried. There will also be compensation that will have to go through the channels of our various institutions.' Most of the dead were foreign undocumented labourers from Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe. To date, there is no record of their names. After all, in South Africa, undocumented migrant labourers are expendable. The Minister of Human Settlements, Thembi Simelane, presented a report by the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) to the parliamentary committee on human settlements on 4 April 2025. She said 'it's a report which indicates the failure of our systems at the NHBRC… There was a lapse of enrolment requirements which were overlooked by our internal staff at the council… There was a lapse… with regard to the structural engineering and drawings and the details which were not fully disclosed as they should have been… 'We also had missing detailed material information about the construction… The contractor cut corners. Our system enabled him to cut corners by not following our standard operating procedures and even approving without the fulfilment of all the necessary attachments that needed to be done.' There were also design flaws, poor quality concrete, and safety alerts were overlooked. Deadly KZN collapses On 18 May 2024, four construction workers died and one survived following the collapse of an embankment at a construction site in Zen Drive, Ballito. On 29 March 2025, two workers employed by a construction firm were digging a trench on Canehaven Drive, Phoenix, when a retaining wall and sand and metal reinforcement fell on them. It was established that the deceased were Mozambican nationals. On 19 November 2013, a section of the second floor of the partly completed Tongaat Mall collapsed, killing two and injuring 29 construction workers. Construction of the Tongaat Mall had commenced without the building plans being approved. Gralio Precast, the company developing the mall, was a beneficiary of many tenders from the eThekwini Metro. A commission of inquiry was appointed by the Department of Labour and chaired by Inspector Phumudzo Maphaha to investigate this collapse. The investigation found that the collapse was due to substandard construction work and several contraventions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and construction regulations which included the following: poor plan design; the contractor's failure to comply with regulations; contraventions of the safety and health regulations; missing steels and columns; lack of supervision on site; an important site diary was missing; lack of health and safety audits; inappropriate building materials (cement imported from Pakistan did not meet South African Bureau of Standards requirements). These reasons can be attributed to a reckless, calculated strategy by the developer to save construction costs and compromise the safety of onsite workers. For example, a beam with insufficient steel bars may have led to the collapse. According to an engineer, the beam should have had 19 steel bars. Also, some of the concrete used was less than a third of the required strength. In May 2016, the then minister of labour Mildred Oliphant acknowledged that while there was clear evidence of impropriety, she was not in a position to give the names of people and companies implicated. NPA failures Instead, she handed over the inquiry results to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in KwaZulu-Natal for further investigation and action. However, as reported by News 24, eight years on in May 2024, Natasha Ramkissoon-Kara, spokesperson for the NPA, said that 'investigations are ongoing, and we are therefore not in a position yet to make any decision in respect of the matter'. However, it is common cause that the NPA has a poor history of initiating prosecutions and achieving convictions in high-profile cases involving malfeasance. This delay by the NPA in investigating and prosecuting those implicated in deliberately compromising safety in the construction sector has national implications. 'No such thing as an accident' An analysis conducted for the South African Institute of Occupational Health in May 2024 by Professor of Construction Management at Nelson Mandela University, John Smallwood, emphasised the ongoing safety issues and the need for extensive measures to enhance the industry's health and safety practices. According to Prof Smallwood: 'There is no such thing as an accident… noting that what are traditionally termed accidents are often the result of management failures…Workers exposed to hazards and risks are people with a body, mind, and soul, who invariably have a partner, a family, and are derived from a community.' He emphasised that unforeseen accidents are often 'planned by default' through actions or inactions, highlighting the necessity for a change in the industry's safety approach. Lennie Samuel, a senior inspector and forensic investigator at the Department of Labour, similarly contended that the absence of oversight and management failures was the main reason for the collapse of buildings. The causes of most of the incidents examined could be traced to senior management, who fix only the immediate causes or symptoms rather than the underlying issues. Regrettably, the outcomes frequently result in injuries, disabilities, deaths and collapses. A comprehensive strategy is essential to decrease accidents in the South African construction sector, including training, recognising hazards, appropriate tools and processes, and implementing robust site management practices and a robust safety culture.
Eyewitness News
05-05-2025
- Business
- Eyewitness News
George Municipality says it's struggling to recover money from developer involved in building collapse
Ntuthuzelo Nene 5 May 2025 | 11:46 George building collapse George Municipality Over 100 emergency and disaster personnel from various municipalities are on site to locate those still unaccounted for after a building collapsed in George on 6 May 2024, trapping construction workers. Picture: George Municipality CAPE TOWN - The George Municipality said it was struggling to recover money owed to it by the company in charge of the land and the development of the collapsed five-storey building in the town last year. Tuesday marks a year since 34 people were killed and 28 others injured when the 42-unit block of flats being built caved in. The main developer of the multi-storey apartment block is Neo Victoria Developments. It later came to light that it had contracted another company, Liatel Developments, that built a structure which was not designed to support the weight of the building. George municipal manager, Godfrey Louw, told the Western Cape portfolio committee on infrastructure that the municipality spent more than R9 million during the 11-day rescue and recovery operation. Louw said it's been a tedious process trying to recoup their money."The committee might not know, but this Neo Victoria company has been liquidated in December last year. So now we are sitting with a shell company, and obviously the municipality needs to recover its costs." He said they've sought legal advice on the matter.
IOL News
02-05-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
George multi-storey tragedy: Calls for transparency as investigation findings remain secret
Minister of Human Settlement Thembi Simelane said the George multi-storey building collapse was a result of non-compliance. Image: Ayanda Ndamane / Independent Newspapers As the first anniversary of the George multi-storey tragedy approaches on May 6, the local government's transparency came into question at the briefing of the Standing Committee on Infrastructure regarding their independent investigation. On Friday morning, ahead of the presentations, Western Cape MEC for Infrastructure Tertuis Simmers was probed about the 'veil of secrecy' under which their findings from an independent investigation are held. Simmers confirmed the investigation findings and the final report, which was undertaken by structural engineering firm B3 and which was subsequently peer-reviewed, have since been handed to the South African Police Service (SAPS) for a criminal investigation due to the loss of lives. Recently, in a preliminary report, Minister of Human Settlements Thembi Simelane exposed alarming negligence and corner-cutting by the project's developers. According to the national department's preliminary report, Simelane announced that the company responsible for the Neo Victoria project was accused of bypassing crucial regulatory processes, fundamentally undermining safety protocols designed to protect both workers and residents. The building collapse claimed the lives of 34 people. On Friday, Simmers maintained that their final report is now the subject of a criminal investigation, and after receiving legal advice, they would not make the report public and would follow the rule of law. 'The law must now take its course,' said Simmers. Rescuers extract one of the construction workers from the rubble of the collapsed building. The building collapse claimed the lives of 34 people. Image: Ayanda Ndamane / Independent Newspapers According to Simmers, they were handed a sole hard copy of the report, and this was handed to the SAPS. When Simmers questioned the absence of Simelane at the briefing, MPs hit back, probing why the 300-page report received by local government could not be made public. MPs Khalid Sayed (ANC), Brett Herron (GOOD), and Patricia Lekker (ANC) called for transparency so the George community could get answers on what transpired and what the inadequacies were that deemed the provincial report to be part of a criminal investigation. Sayed said: 'Unfortunately, this morning's meeting of the Standing Committee on Infrastructure regarding the disastrous collapse of the George Building one year ago raised more questions and red flags than providing answers. The continued secrecy surrounding the premier's investigative report, legal advice, and the municipal probe reinforces what we've long said: the DA's lack of transparency and accountability is matched only by its arrogance. 'The investigative report concluded by the premier that was subsequently handed over to SAPS is still 'secret', the legal advice provided on the investigative report is 'secret', the municipality's investigation is not complete but will be deemed secret, with the council deciding what should be made public and what should be kept a secret… 'Their persistent refusal to fully disclose matters of such grave public interest, especially when they involve the lives of the poor and marginalised, is deeply troubling,' said Sayed. Minister of Human Settlements Thembi Simelane briefs the media on the way forward after the Neo Victoria residential building collapse. Image: Ministry of Human Settlements Herron echoed these sentiments and said Simmers's department has cloaked the report in secrecy. 'The families of those who lost their lives when the Victoria Street building in George collapsed, almost exactly one year ago, would have been insulted, shocked, and disappointed to observe the Western Cape Standing Committee on Infrastructure pretending to interrogate what caused the collapse of the building. The victim's families were failed today, and they deserve better. 'The starting point is to summon those who have completed investigations, and that includes the premier and the minister of Human Settlements, to brief the committee on their findings… We also learned that the George Municipality, while conducting its own technical investigation, sought a legal opinion on liability before receiving the technical findings. 'That raises serious questions about whether it is attempting to manage legal risk rather than uncover the truth. A determination of liability should flow from facts, not precede them. The victims' families deserve more than symbolic meetings and political theatre,' said Herron. During the briefing, the George Municipality confirmed the expenses incurred during the Mass Casualty Incident amounted to R9.2 million. Patriotic Alliance (PA) MP Bradley Marais called for a judicial commission of inquiry into the investigations undertaken by various stakeholders and said 'nobody must get away'. Democratic Alliance MP Dirk Wessels said Simelane's absence and having evaded today's briefing demonstrated the department's lack of commitment to transparency and public accountability'. 'Every investigation report into this tragedy conducted by national, provincial, and local government will be interrogated by the Standing Committee on Infrastructure because this event demands sustained oversight to prevent future tragedies from occurring. The DA in the Western Cape calls for Minister Simelane to provide immediate and unambiguous public clarification on whether the NHBRC report has been finalised,' said Wessels. [email protected]
