Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson has confirmed he has received the final report from the Council for the Built Environment (CBE), via its body the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), on the George building collapse.
On 6 May 2024, a five-storey building collapsed in George, in the Western Cape, claiming the lives of 34 people and leaving 28 others injured.
Macpherson said the report marked a critical step in the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure’s commitment to uncover the truth behind what he described as a preventable disaster and to ensure those responsible are held accountable.
“As the Department, we will now carefully study the report to develop a pathway forward to ensure that a tragedy such as the George building collapse never happens again. As I have previously committed, after studying the report, I will personally return to George to present the findings of this report to the families affected by this tragedy. They deserve to hear directly from us, not through the media, about what went wrong and how we intend to rectify it,” Macpherson said.
He emphasised that the collapse was the result of systemic failures across various regulatory bodies and a lack of cooperation among key stakeholders. Macpherson reiterated that accountability could not be optional when human lives were lost as a result of human error.
The Department will continue to work with the South African Police Service (SAPS), the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and other relevant regulatory bodies to ensure accountability.
“As I have said before, the collapse of the George building was entirely preventable, and we will therefore work towards accountability and address any errors that may have been identified. By working together, we are ensuring a safe and secure construction sector for all stakeholders,” Macpherson said.
