Eight Lives Lost in Another Tragedy We Could Have Prevented

GOOD Statement by Matthew Cook, GOOD National Chairperson & City of Johannesburg Councillor:

The City of Johannesburg and its leadership must answer a simple but urgent question: why did it take the deaths of eight people before any action was taken to enforce building safety?

At least eight people have now died following the collapse of a building under construction in Ormonde, with one person still missing and rescue operations continuing amid great difficulty due to structural instability. Emergency responders on site have confirmed fatalities and ongoing recovery efforts.

Preliminary statements from City Manager Floyd Brink and Executive Mayor Dada Morero indicate that there were no approved plans for the building, suggesting that it was constructed illegally. Yet this follows a familiar pattern of non-compliance, weak enforcement, and after-the-fact response rather than proactive oversight.

GOOD extends its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who have perished. Every life lost in a preventable tragedy is a failure of governance, and those entrusted with public safety must be held accountable.

This collapse echoes the devastating 2024 George building collapse, where an official investigation found that systemic failures in planning, oversight, and enforcement directly contributed to the deaths of 34 construction workers, and that the tragedy could have been prevented had warning signs not been ignored.

In both instances, tragedies occurred on construction sites where oversight mechanisms were either absent or ineffective.

In both cases, statutory requirements, including approved plans, competent inspections, and ongoing compliance monitoring, were either bypassed or inadequately enforced.

In both cases, it took the loss of life before authorities announced plans to take action or undertake investigations.

This pattern of reactive governance must come to an end. If city officials, inspectors, or departments failed to enforce the law or missed warning signs, there must be consequences, including disciplinary or criminal referrals as appropriate.

South Africans should never be in a position where only tragedy prompts action. GOOD will continue to press for proactive enforcement, rigorous oversight, and a culture of public safety- not reactive crisis management.

GOOD Skills Training: GOOD emphasizes the importance of skills training for the workforce.

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