Solly justifies evacuation

Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga yesterday hit back at minister Michael Masutha after he threatened to go to court contesting the city’s decision to shut down the department of correctional services’ Poyntons Building head office in Pretoria central.

“I have noted the response by the minister of justice and correctional services with respect to our decision to close the noncompliant Poyntons Building. While Minister Masutha has every right to approach the courts, we remain confident that no reasonable court of law will knowingly be party to endangering innocent peoples’ lives,” said Msimanga.

“Minister Masutha states no prior warning was given. This simply isn’t true. This is not the first time the city had engaged with the department to correct defects inherent in the building.”

Msimanga said the department had two years to ensure the building was compliant “but they failed”. He said the City of Tshwane’s clampdown was in a bid to save lives.”

Section 24(a) of the constitution enjoins us to “ensure our people are not subjected to an environment that is harmful to their health or wellbeing”, he said.

“What is of concern is that the department and management continued to put peoples’ lives in danger by expecting employees to continue to work in a building that is ‘partially compliant’, by the minister’s own admission”.

Tshwane outlined the reason for evacuating the more than 1 000 DCS staff members and shutting down the building:

The building has no evacuation plan or system in place to inform occupants of what needs to be done in an emergency.

There is no operational smoke detection and alarm system in the building.

The 32-storey building, about 100m high with roughly 1 700 occupants, does not have firefighting water inside the building.

Eight floors on the western wing do not have lift lobbies, fire doors or any other separating element to create areas of refuge during a fire. In the event of a fire, smoke will travel quickly through the building resulting in panic, the rapid spread of fire and possible asphyxiation of occupants.

The escape doors were locked with no means to access the doors in an emergency.

“We trust the responsible step we took will motivate the minister to address the safety issues in order to bring the building into full compliance,” said Msimanga.

On Wednesday, Masutha told a briefing in Cape Town he would go to court to challenge Msimanga’s decision.

He said Msimanga should have considered “the dire consequences of shutting down the nerve centre” of the justice department.

Correctional services officers celebrated as Msimanga and Tshwane emergency services personnel ordered the immediate evacuation of the building on Wednesday. – ANA