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The Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, has emphasised that the collapse of the George Building, which claimed the lives of 34 people, was preventable.
The Minister made these remarks on Saturday during a media briefing on the outcomes of investigation into the George building collapse, where he described the incident as a lethal convergence of failures.
Twenty-eight people were injured when the apartment building collapsed while under construction in George on 75 Victoria Street on 6 May 2024 in the Western Cape.
“At every problem, there was a chance to turn back, but because of [a] weak regulatory environment, there was either no incentive or requirement to do so. And this is what makes me so angry when I view this tragedy from today’s perspective, it was entirely preventable,” Macpherson said in George.
The investigation confirmed that serious safety concerns were raised well before the collapse.
“Workers noticed cracks in columns, strange vibrations in the slab, and even visible holes through the walls in the basement. Some of these observations were made as early as 2023.
“Second, 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.
“Third, the concrete used in the slabs did not meet required specifications. Where 19 to 25 megapascal were needed, only 13 megapascal of concrete were delivered. This is a material failure of the most basic kind,” the Minister said.
The investigation found that 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).
“Our system currently allows engineers to self-assess their own competence. This is a loophole that must be closed and with speed.
“The geotechnical study of the site, critical in determining soil stability and groundwater conditions, was not only incomplete, but grossly deficient. Key tests and geological mappings were missing.
“The Health and Safety Agent appointed to monitor site compliance resigned midway through the project, stating clearly that they could no longer ensure safe working conditions. This was a dereliction of duty as it was not reported to any of the relevant authorities. That should have stopped the project in its tracks,” the Minister said.
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READ | Public Works to study final George building collapse report
Moreover, there was a lack of coordination between regulatory authorities.
In the aftermath of the collapse, the Council for the Built Environment (CBE), a statutory body of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, initiated a full investigation looking into the systematic failures that lead to the building’s collapse.
Parallel to this investigation, the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), which is one of the six councils under the CBE, undertook an investigation that investigated the culpability of the engineer involved in the construction project.
“The full ECSA investigation report has been completed and it will be published in the Government Gazette in due course. An appeal window to these finding is currently underway which expires on the 3rd of August 2025.
“This report must form part the police investigation as we must establish criminal negligence for what happened. If criminal wrongdoing is established, those responsible must be prosecuted without delay.
“We must ensure that people are held accountable for 34 souls losing their life. No contractor, engineer, or official should be beyond the reach of the law,” the Minister said.
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