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Update on SAPS Investigation Into George Building Collapse Disaster

On Friday, 11 April 2025, Premier Alan Winde met with Western Cape Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General, Thembisile Patekile, to receive an update on the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) investigation into the George building collapse.

The lead investigator in this case, Captain Johan de Lange, was also present.

The Premier was informed that the SAPS investigation is 65% complete. Premier Winde and Lt Gen Patekile agreed that it must be urgently concluded, but that the investigation must be thorough and the case watertight to stand up to prosecutorial scrutiny. The Premier cautioned, “We cannot allow this matter to be tried in the media. This will not offer the survivors, their families, and the relatives of those who died any closure. They deserve to have this matter handled professionally and transparently, with care and compassion.”

He urged the commissioner to take the necessary steps to expedite this matter, as the SAPS is the lead agency responsible for investigating incidents of this nature.

At the end of January, the Premier handed over the report containing the structural engineering findings from the independent investigation commissioned by the Western Cape Government into the disaster to Lt Gen Patekile and the investigation team.

The provincial government deemed it necessary to launch its own investigation, given the scale of the tragedy and its profound impact on the residents of the province. The Western Cape Government firmly believes that the technical findings in the report are of such a nature that they will assist the SAPS investigation.

Premier Winde has undertaken to write to certain stakeholders to urge them to also expedite their investigations.

Given the nature of the incident, the findings of the Western Cape Government’s assessment cannot be made public. If they were made public, there is a risk of the SAPS probe being compromised.

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