Pressure mounts to release George building collapse report

Pieces of the puzzle regarding what caused the George building collapse on May 6 a year ago are coming together as the one-year anniversary approaches, while certain departments remain tight-lipped as public interest and demands continue to grow.

Minister of Human Settlements, Thembi Simelane, on Sunday said she will implement the recommendations in the final report of the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC), which found in a preliminary report that several procedures were not followed and there was a breach of the Housing Consumers Protection Measures Act.

Political parties have since called for a full disclosure of the report, stipulating that it should be released to give the community and affected families closure.

Chantèl Edwards of George Municipality, confirmed they too were yet to receive insight into the report Simelane referred to, but the police’s investigation was at a progressive stage.

“George Municipality acknowledges the statement made by the Minister of Human Settlements regarding the NHBRC investigation into the building collapse. It is important to note that the Minister’s comments specifically refer to inspection procedures under the NHBRC regulations,” said Edwards.

“The George Municipality has not received a copy of the report under discussion and, therefore, cannot comment on its contents. 

“The investigation remains in the hands of the SAPS and is in an advanced stage. 

“The Municipality continues to cooperate fully with all investigative authorities to ensure a thorough and transparent process.”

Provincial chief inspector for the Department of Employment and Labour, David Esau, told the Cape Argus the investigation was still in the hands of the police and they would no longer issue an explanation to the media.

“All institutions who have an interest will submit reports but these reports speak directly to the involvement according to the areas they police,” he said yesterday.

“The ultimate reports that are important are those of the police.

"We will not issue any reports to the media but directly to the NPA (National Prosecuting Authority) who will decide what to do.”

The NHBRC is a regulatory body established to protect the interests of housing consumers and to regulate the home-building industry in South Africa. 

Its primary functions include ensuring that home builders are registered and adhere to prescribed building standards and ethical practices and inspections are conducted during various stages of construction to ensure compliance with national building regulations and technical standards.

Simelane said: “Upon its finalisation, should it happen that there are procedural flaws and compromise of NHBRC building standards, we will not hesitate to refer its recommendations to the law enforcement authorities for investigation and possible criminal charges."

She underscored that if any crime was committed including by officials at NHBRC, she would not hesitate to act.

The GOOD Party called for the swift release of the findings of the collapse.

“Nearly 12 months have passed since this devastating tragedy claimed 34 lives and left many more seriously injured. The release of the investigation's findings is crucial to providing closure to the victims' families and the broader George community,” the party said.

“Over the weekend, the Minister of Human Settlements, Thembi Simelane confirmed that according to the preliminary report by the NHBRC, several procedures were not followed. While Minister Simelane has pledged to implement all recommendations outlined in the final report, she did not disclose a potential release date for these findings.”

Earlier this year, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde handed over a structural engineering report to the Western Cape Police Commissioner Thembisile Patekile and the lead investigator Johan de Lange. 

“The George community anxiously awaits the outcomes of all investigations and expects prompt action based on the findings,” they added.

“As GOOD we believe the Mayor needs to table both reports before the Council. 

“The building collapse was the biggest man-made tragedy to impact our municipality. A thorough review of these findings is essential to ensuring that such a catastrophic event never happens again. The people of George deserve transparency, accountability, and decisive action.”

Three Directors of Neo Victoria Development, the company of the apartment block in Victoria Street, resigned following the disaster and could not be traced for comment.

A  total of 34 people died and 28 were left injured and were rescued by  the efforts of the South African Police’s K9 Unit.

Cape Argus