Public Works and Infrastructure Minister, Dean Macpherson, has expressed his deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and to those injured, following the partial collapse of a building in Ormonde, south of Johannesburg, where nine people have tragically died.
Visiting the site on Tuesday afternoon alongside emergency services, the Minister said the building collapse raises serious questions around systemic weaknesses.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the deceased and with all those who have been injured during this incredibly difficult time, as well as the workers and families affected by this tragedy.
“We furthermore thank the brave men and women in our emergency services, who worked tirelessly to rescue survivors and recover bodies.
“As the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, together with our entity, the Council for the Built Environment (CBE), we will continue working with all stakeholders to support affected families and to ensure accountability where wrongdoing has occurred.
“We should never normalise the collapse of any building. Buildings are not meant to collapse and therefore, there must have been serious failures that led to the tragedy we witnessed. We are determined to get to the bottom of this and will release the findings publicly once the investigation has concluded. We will not hesitate to take action against any individual found to be complicit,” the Minister said.
The Minister said that in the days ahead, the CBE, which regulates professionals within the built environment sector, will investigate the circumstances surrounding the collapse to determine whether professional negligence, contravention of mandatory standards, or any misconduct took place.
Macpherson said he will be expediting a meeting with the Minister of Human Settlements to review the regulation and enforcement of building standards in South Africa, with the aim of preventing similar tragedies in future.
“We need to be frank in acknowledging that repeated building collapses point to deeper structural issues that must be urgently reviewed to improve building safety and construction oversight.
“As we work to turn South Africa into a construction site, it is critical that we do so in an environment where building construction can be trusted and the loss of life avoided. By working together to find solutions, I have no doubt that we can strengthen the regulatory environment and build a better South Africa,” the Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za
