Now That the George Building Collapse CBE Report Is Public, It Must Be Tabled in Council

GOOD Statement by Chantelle Kyd , GOOD George Councillor:

The GOOD Party welcomes the decision by Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson to publicly release the Council for the Built Environment’s (CBE) investigation report into the George building collapse.

The press conference was emotionally charged, with the families of the victims making heartfelt and desperate pleas for accountability, justice and support. We commend the Minister for fulfilling his commitment to meet with the affected families before addressing the nation. That act of compassion should now be matched with governance.

With the report now in the public domain, there is no longer any justification for withholding it from the George Municipality. The report must be urgently submitted to the Speaker and tabled before Council. This is not only a matter of courtesy, it is a matter of accountability and proper process.

The CBE and Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) reports paint a picture of widespread regulatory failure, failures which ultimately cost 34 people their lives. These are not abstract numbers. They are families torn apart, financially and emotionally.

The report identifies the municipality’s planning department as one of the key regulatory authorities that failed to intervene.

While the report stops short of assigning direct blame to George Municipality, it makes clear:

• There was no effective coordination between municipal and national inspectors.
• Municipal planning oversight failed to identify or act on red flags.
• The municipality was part of a broader regulatory system that functioned in silos, contributing to the collapse.

This breakdown in communication and oversight between local and national authorities was a major systemic failure.

The findings are a damning indictment of a broken system, characterised by fragmented oversight, unqualified appointments, regulatory loopholes and outdated legislation.

We must act decisively to ensure that every municipality, including George, is equipped to strengthen oversight, assess risk, and close the gaps exposed by this collapse.

The CBE report, along with all other reports must be tabled in Council. The planning department must review the findings, internal processes must be interrogated, and where necessary, corrective actions must be taken. If we fail to act now, we fail every worker who enters a construction site tomorrow.

GOOD Manifesto on Crisis Preparedness: Advocating for preparedness in the face of national emergencies.

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