News24 | George building collapse probe finds negligence, misconduct and safety breaches

• The 2024 George building collapse investigation revealed unqualified personnel, registration irregularities, and violations of safety and construction standards, leading to the collapse that claimed 34 lives and injured 28.
• The findings highlighted lapses in oversight, approval of construction plans during the building process, and false declarations by the construction company regarding project scope and capabilities.
• Accountability measures were recommended, including  possible criminal charges against implicated officials. 

A forensic investigation into the 2024 George building collapse uncovered unqualified personnel who lacked formal qualifications in engineering, irregularities in registration, gaps in the competency of key personnel, and breaches of occupational health and safety standards.

Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane said the investigation also found that a technical manager's competency was lacking and that the George Municipality only approved the plans after construction was already under way. 

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"The investigation revealed significant deficiencies in the oversight and assessment of the manager's qualifications as the latter were not thoroughly re-assessed at the time of appointment. 

"According to the report, this played a major role in the technical missteps observed during the construction," she said.

Simelane said the investigation's outcome also recommended that implicated officials be "held accountable for their actions". 

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They are expected to face criminal charges including alleged dereliction of duty, misconduct, negligence, dishonesty, and misrepresentation in official inspection reports.

"We will continue to monitor that this is done by following due process," she said.

The five-storey apartment block on Victoria Street collapsed on 6 May 2024.

It claimed the lives of 34 people and left 28 injured. More than 60 workers were on site at the time of the collapse.

Rescue workers spent more than a week rescuing people and retrieving bodies from the rubble.

Other key findings identified during the investigation, included irregularities in certification, lapses in inspection, and failures in health and safety compliance.

Simelane said the company responsible for the project inaccurately presented its capabilities during the registration process, failing to declare its intention to construct a multi-story building. 

"This omission breached National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) policies, which require transparency regarding a home builder's intended project scope in technical capacity."

She said: 

She said the investigation's findings revealed significant gaps in the NHBRC's enrolment protocols. Enrolment was processed well after construction had already commenced.

"The official did not verify that a homebuilder was registered to construct despite the building plans showing that this was indeed a multi-storey enrolment.

"Thus, a contractor was allowed to proceed with the construction of a multi-storey building without the proper enrolment.

"Even more disturbing was the unlawful use of other official's credentials to enrol the first phase of the project," she said. 

Further investigation found that an initial inspection was conducted eight working days after enrolment, breaching the five-day inspection window required by NHBRC protocol.

"More worrying was that the inspection reports included units which were yet to be constructed," she said.

The investigation also found that the site's geotechnical report failed to provide essential data, including trial pit locations, Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP) test results and geological maps.

"The collapse of a building led to the loss of life. It tarnished the NHBRC's reputation that has been built over the years.

"Therefore, we shall not hesitate to act against those who bring, and have brought, shame to our institution, including our own," she said.

In response to Simelane's remarks, Chantèl Edwards, head of communications at the George Municipality said they did not receive a copy of the report under discussion and could not comment on its contents.

However, Edwards said the building's pre-application for rezoning was first submitted in September 2020, and a revised submission was received in November of the same year. 

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Approval for a five-storey block of flats was granted in October 2021. 

She said a site development plan, submitted in April 2022 and approved in May 2022, adhered to planning requirements.

She said the building plan, which encompasses a basement, parking, and four residential floors, was initially submitted in July 2022.

After necessary corrections, approval was only granted in July 2023.

Although construction was proposed to commence in early July 2023, she said the municipality found no evidence that work began before the building plan approval on 6 July 2023.

"The engineer informed the municipality on 29 June 2023 that they intend to commence with construction on 3 July 2023. The municipality advised that the plans were not yet approved.

"Further enquiry was made on 6 July 2023, upon which it was confirmed that the plans were approved. The municipality does not have evidence alluding that the construction commenced prior to approval of the building plan," she said.

Following the building collapse, Edwards said the municipality worked closely with the Western Cape Provincial Government, SA Police Service, and the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) to provide the necessary documentation.