Public Works probe into George building collapse completed, findings yet to be shared

A report into the the collapse of the George building has been submitted to Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson.

Luke Daniel/News24

A report into the collapse of the George building has been submitted to Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson.The collapse,which took place more than a year ago,killed 34 people and injured 28.Macpherson has committed to meet with the families of those killed in the collapse to unpack the report.A report into the collapse of the George building has landed on the desk of Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson.

Macpherson’s department commissioned the report,which was compiled by the Council for the Built Environment (CBE),as part of the probes in the collapse of the five-storey construction site. The incident left 34 dead. Twenty-eight people were pulled from the rubble alive,but many have been left with severe injuries.

Macpherson said the report “marks a critical step in the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure’s commitment to uncover the truth behind this preventable disaster” and ensure that those responsible are held to account.

“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,” he said.

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“They deserve to hear directly from us,not through the media,about what went wrong and how we intend to rectify it.”

Macpherson said that the collapse resulted from “systemic failures across various regulatory bodies and a lack of cooperation among key stakeholders”.

He said his department will continue to work with the police,the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA),and other relevant regulatory bodies to ensure accountability.

“The collapse of the George building was entirely preventable,and we will therefore work towards accountability and address any errors which may have been identified. By working together,we are ensuring a safe and secure construction sector for all stakeholders.”

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The George building collapse left 34 dead. Twenty-eight people were pulled from the rubble alive,but many have been left with severe injuries.

Luke Daniel/News24

 The report is among several commissioned by various organisations into the collapse.

Two weeks ago,the George Municipality received the final report in an independent structural investigation of the site,which was commissioned and undertaken by Engineering Design Services (EDS) on behalf of the municipality.

“The final report has been submitted to the police and forms part of the official evidence bundle in the ongoing criminal investigation. Therefore,the report will not be made public or tabled to the Council. The Municipality remains committed to fully cooperating with SAPS and other relevant authorities and supports efforts to conclude the investigation as swiftly and thoroughly as possible,” the municipality said.