Questions raised over safety checks during construction of George building
Safety checks by the George municipality of the collapsed Victoria Street block of flats were scheduled to occur only after construction was complete.
The building imploded a week ago during the construction phase, claiming the lives of at least 20 people by last night.
By the time of publication, 49 people had been pulled from the rubble, with 14 in hospital and 32 unaccounted for.
And though structural engineers appointed by the development company were, according to the municipality, supposed to supervise the implementation of structural designs during construction, the collapse of the building gives rise to questions as no safety issues were identified.
In a lengthy response to questions from The Herald, the George municipality said yesterday that it was responsible only for checking compliance with building codes and other regulations on completion of the construction process.
“We then issue an occupation certificate to the development company only if all compliance requirements are met.”
It said that during the construction phase the developer hired structural engineers to oversee construction and ensure everything followed approved plans.
This included meeting safety regulations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
“This includes appointing competent [people], implementing safety measures, providing personal protective equipment, and conducting regular inspections to identify and mitigate hazards,” the municipality said.
It said once the zoning and land use processes were met, the building plans for the development concept would be submitted to the municipal building control department for compliance with the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act (Act 103 of 1977), which sets out the requirements for building construction in SA.
“The municipality’s building control, planning and other departments review the plans to ensure compliance with these regulations, as well as any additional local bylaws or regulations.
“This includes that all services such as water, electricity, sanitation and roads are in place for the construction phase.”
The air at the collapsed building site was still thick with dust yesterday.
Exhausted rescue workers continued to claw through the wreckage, the only sound the clanging of metal and the occasional cough.
Around them, volunteers hustled, handing out water and food to keep the search going.
But for the families waiting nearby, the world had stopped.
Orrelia Nomposiso Gwangqa could not stay still as her nephew, one of two electricians still missing, was all she could think about.
“This is one of the worst Mother’s Days for me,” she said.
“I’m spending it counting down the hours until my brother’s child is rescued.”
UXi Artisan Development’s Jan Greyling said the company and the Africa Skills Private College in George were “praying and maintaining hope” that their two students would survive the disaster.
“Two of our electrical learners are involved in this horrific disaster in George,” Greyling said.
He said out of respect for the parents’ wishes, the names of the two students were not being disclosed.
“With sincere sadness and continuous prayers and hope in our hearts, Africa Skills Private College in George and all at UXi Artisan Development are sharing our support and encouragement.
“Since Monday, we have been personally and continually in touch with and supporting their parents.”
Police minister Bheki Cele said yesterday that if the developer and contractors failed to provide information about the workers, they would be compelled to allow law enforcement to fulfil its role.
According to Cele, none of the dead have been identified by their families due to a lack of information provided by both the families and the contractor.
“Until today, we have been working with estimated numbers,” he said.
“None of the numbers of the people who were on site at the time of the collapse are correct, that we know.
“We can’t work with a piece of paper that has names of people.
“They need to have photos of all the people and ID numbers or any form of identification that can help them with that process.
“We will only know when
everyone has been recovered and the construction companies provide us with information.”
Cele said they had started with the investigation and no further information about the investigation could be provided until it had been concluded.
He emphasised the need for information from the construction company about its workers, as it appeared that “there were many undocumented immigrants working” on site.
However, he clarified that as police, they could not speculate on this matter.
It is understood the land is owned by Neo Victoria Developments Pty Ltd, with development co-ordination and management supervised by Neotrend Developments Pty Ltd & East Africa Development Pty Ltd.
Liatel Developments Pty Ltd oversaw construction, while Mitchell & Associates served as structural and civil engineers.
Deon van der Westhuizen Architects cc acted as the project architect, with Mitchell & Associates as the principal agent.
Matla Quantity Surveyors Pty Ltd handled quantity surveying, and health and safety officer duties were managed by 4Front Safety and Security Consultants Pty Ltd.
Clinkscales MaughanBrown Pty Ltd was responsible for electrical engineering, and Duane Hodges Consulting Engineer oversaw fire engineering.
The developers applied to the George municipality to rezone the land from business use to residential use in 2021.
The council approved the application on October 1 2021.
Shortly thereafter, town planner Jan Vrolijk added a fifth floor at the request of the developer. Finally, rezoning plans were submitted to the municipality in December 2022 and were approved by the council in July last year.
The municipality said yesterday that a comprehensive investigation would be undertaken by the relevant authorities, including the department of labour and police.
“Other bodies such as the Council for the Built Environment, Engineering Council of South Africa and the South African Council for the Architectural Profession may play a role in the investigation.
“The Western Cape government has also appointed an independent structural engineer to investigate the cause of the collapse.
“The municipality will therefore not speculate on any possible causes.”
The Herald reported on Friday that a source had alleged that the basement of the fivestorey building “had not been reinforced with concrete and had consisted predominantly of dirt”.