Cape Town: The famous building under construction, the George Building, collapsed and there are multiple parties who are to be blamed for this destruction. A conclusion has yet to be found by the Council Built Environment (CBE) investigation.
Reportedly, the CBE and the Engineering Council of South Africa held a joint briefing on the outcomes of their probes into the May 2024 incident. Majorly the developer, contractor, and engineers are at fault.
As per the sources, the investigators found that the developer ignored early warning signs. The safety concerns first emerged in 2023. The contractor overlooked the sagging roof slab two days before the collapse. Moreover, the site staff simply patched visible cracks with sand, cement, and mortar.
Further, the engineer on record failed to follow standard design checks. Inspectors noted flaws in calculations and oversight during the investigation. The concrete mix fell short of specifications. Tests revealed a strength of just 13 MPa instead of the required 19 MPa or higher.
The devastation of the George Building claimed 34 lives and injured 28 people. It occurred on May 06, 2024 at a five‑storey apartment block which was under construction in George.
CEO of the CBE – Msizi Myeza, called for stronger enforcement of building regulations. He urged all parties to review their processes. The Engineering Council of South Africa confirmed that it will pursue disciplinary measures against those, who are at fault.
Families of the workers welcomed the updates. They said they hope it leads to justice and safer building practices. Both councils stressed that strict compliance and professional competence are vital to prevent future tragedies.
Considering the tragedy, Public Works Minister – Dean Macpherson said the collapse was the result of multiple failures including the use of substandard materials, structural cracks, and visible gaps.
“There were a number of red flags that were continually raised about this project,” said a visibly angry Macpherson.
Some of the defects were detected a year before the collapse. The health and safety officer even resigned in protest but work continued. “The work should have stopped back then,” Macpherson said.
He added that these signs were a chance to turn back but instead, problems with the building were ‘covered up’. Workers told about feeling vibrations in the structure and being told to cover up holes with sand and substandard concrete.