Cape Town - As rescue operations enter the fifth day, the chairperson of the portfolio committee on human settlements in Parliament, Machwene Semenya, called for the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) to launch an in-depth investigation into the tragic incident in George.
The current death toll from the under-construction building that collapsed on Monday afternoon stands at nine.
“We are extremely distressed by the incident, the loss of life and injuries experienced. We continue to pray and hope that the workers who remain trapped in the building will be found alive, despite the lengthy rescue and recovery process.
“Efforts, however, should already be under way to institute a full-scale investigation into the causes of the collapse and those culpable must be held accountable,” Semenya said.
She said the NHBRC had a moral and legal duty to investigate and report on any shortcomings during the building process.
“The investigation should focus on whether there was bad workmanship, registration of the builders, and whether the materials used are in accordance with building standards in the country as per the Housing Consumers Protection Measurement Act,” Semenya said.
She also called for collaboration with law-enforcement agencies and the provincial investigating team to ensure that the investigation covered all aspects.
“A full-scale report will assist in ensuring that such unfortunate incidents do not occur again in this country,” Semenya said.
A report by the George Municipality confirmed that 37 workers have been retrieved from the rubble, a total of nine people have died, 16 people are in critical condition, six people face life-threatening conditions and seven people sustained minor injuries.
A total of 44 workers are still unaccounted for.
Garden Route District Joint Operational Centre confirmed that a hospitalized red patient has been declared deceased as at 10 May.
Earlier this week, Liatel Developments, the contractors of the Neo Victoria multi-storey apartment block, said they were committed to co-operating with authorities to determine the cause of the tragedy.
Theuns Kruger, the director of Liatel Developments, said: “We are co-ordinating closely with emergency responders and authorities to provide support and resources for the rescue operations. We are fully committed to co-operating with the authorities to determine the cause of this incident.
“We will ensure that a thorough investigation is conducted to understand what led to the collapse.”
George mayor Leon van Wyk named the developer, NT Neotrend Group, and the name of the development, Ice Projects.
Their plans were submitted on December 22, 2022, and were approved in July 2023.
The development consists of a basement parking and four floors containing a total of 42 flats.
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said this week an independent structural engineer had started investigating the cause of the collapse.
The structural engineer, Casper Hutten, could not say how long the investigation would take.
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has further called on the entire construction industry to pay attention to health and safety protocols on sites.
NUM Western Cape deputy regional secretary Mlondolozi Limaphi said: “The NUM strongly believes that the unfortunate death of eight workers and the entrapment of workers under the rubble could have been avoided by all parties involved in the construction project if health and safety was a priority instead of profits.
“The death of these construction workers is as a result of capitalist exploitation and barbarism.”