George Building Collapse: Lessons Need to Be Learnt

Statement by Chantelle Kyd, GOOD George Councillor and MMC for Planning and Development:

The GOOD Party welcomes the release of the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) report on the George Building Collapse by Human Settlements Minister, Thembi Simelane. In May 2024, the Multi-story Building Collapse claimed 34 lives and left many more seriously injured. The building collapse was the biggest man-made tragedy to impact our municipality.

The NHBRC report has laid bare a number of disturbing findings, particularly in relation to the conduct of the construction company. These include:

• The failure to declare its intention to construct a multi-story building,
• Multiple breaches of Occupational Health and Safety standards, and
• Gaps in the competency of key personnel involved in the project.

We support the recommendations of the report and the decision to suspend implicated officials. Accountability is non-negotiable.

However, as the GOOD Party, we are extremely concerned about the role played by the George Municipality in this tragedy. Alarmingly, the report reveals that the Municipality approved building plans only after construction was already underway. This reflects a serious lapse in oversight and a breakdown in regulatory enforcement by the Building Plan Approval Office. According to the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act, Act 103 of 1977, municipalities must appoint building control officers who are responsible for inspecting building erections.

It is critical that the municipality learns from this failure. New operational procedures must be implemented to ensure that no construction begins without full approval of plans. Building inspections must be carried out and any deviations from approved building plans must be swiftly detected and acted upon.

As the MMC for Planning and Development, I will be request that the full NHBRC report be tabled in Council. This will allow for robust interrogation of its findings and the development of stronger safeguards to prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again.

The people of George deserve the assurance that their safety is a priority.