On Monday, May 6th, in the afternoon a multistorey building collapsed at 75 Victoria Street in George. So far recuse operations retrieved 61 workers from the rubble, 32 were found deceased, 12 are hospitalised, and 20 remain unaccounted for.

Rescue operations

The privately owned building was being worked on and collapsed at 2:30 pm with 75 construction workers on site.

The community got together along with emergency services to search for and tend to the injured. The emergency site has received emergency service workers from as far away as Worcester, and the humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers is currently on site with their rescue dogs to locate those still trapped under rubble. It is reported that

Premier Alan Winde of the Western Cape provincial government said, “At the moment, officials are focused on saving lives. This is our top priority at this stage.” According to a George municipality update last night, 53 emergency personnel were on their way from the City of Cape Town and Worcester Disaster Services. Chief Director of Western Cape Disaster Services Colin Deiner will also arrive on site.

On May 8th, the rescue operations switched from using small machinery to larger machinery to break through concrete faster.

Supplies

Anyone wishing to leave supplies such as drinking water, energy drinks and food can drop them off via Ivy Street, at 79 Victoria Street for emergency service workers. A municipal worker will be there to collect donations.

Responses

Premier Alan Winde has already briefed MECs and has said the ongoing allocation of emergency services is underway.

The DA’s constituency head in George, MP Mimmy Gondwe, said “The DA in George would like to thank the emergency personnel for their swift response to this tragic incident and will keep monitoring the situation to offer any form of assistance and support.”

President Cyril Ramaphosa has extended condolences to the families of those who died in the George building structure collapse and has issued a statement calling for a full investigation into the collapse once the emergency has ended.

The Department of Employment and Labour says it cannot probe the cause of the collapse until the investigation is handed over to the department by the relevant parties.

In another statement issued by the minister of labour, Thulas Nxesi, says that this is “a sobering reminder of the critical importance of prioritising safety in the workplace,” which echoes the statement from Cyril Ramphosa. Thulas Nxesi visited the families of the 44 uncounted workers asking them for photographs and documentation to speed up the identification as well as help in the investigation. He made assurances that anyone who lives in South Africa illegally will not be deported based on the documentation they provide.

The South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) extends its deepest condolences and adds that speculation about the causes is insensitive as the emergency operations are not yet finished. The focus is still on finding the remaining workers unaccounted for.

The Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA) offered its deepest condolences to all those affected.

On the ground, the South African Police Service has designated the area a crime scene. Engineers and experts are investigating the collapse trying to piece together what led to the tragic event.

Families of the uncounted-for workers remain on the scene in hope. An uncle of Siphesihle Mehlo, a 21-year-old artisan doing his practicals at the building site, said that he raised concerns over the quality of the building

Engineers working on-site still do not know the cause of the collapse.

So far any investigations have been placed on the back foot as rescue operations remain the priority. The owner of the building was subpoenaed, and the Department of Labour will handle investigations once the Western Cape authorities hand over their work.

Nxesi adds, “It is not a competition and also we can’t play politics with the lives of the workers. This is a stage when we must put our differences aside. We know that it’s election time … but this is about the disaster that has affected the poor workers.”

Investigations

The minister of public works, Sihle Zikalala says that the main contractor Liatel Developments, was not registered with the Construction Industry Development Board. This was due to a loophole that allows the private sector construction to operate without registration.

Basetsana Khoza, spokesperson for the Engineering Council Of South Africa (Ecsa) has confirmed that a complaint was made against a registered person who acted as the consulting engineer on the project.

Once again the issue of unskilled and undocumented labour raises its head. A report by City Press says that 19-year-old Florence Kawunga was one of the missing. She had originally been employed as a cleaner but was later asked to mix cement on-site.

There are several ongoing investigations being conducted by engineering experts, SAPS as well as the departments of labour and home affairs into the possible exploitation of undocumented and unskilled workers.

As investigations go forward CESA urges patience and restraint in reaching conclusions. “No self-respecting engineer will hazard a guess publicly without a thorough investigation. We, therefore support V3 Consulting Engineers, a member of CESA, who has been appointed to undertake the investigations.” Chief Executive Officer of CESA Chirs Campell says that speculation hinders the facts and that the priority is still “the safety and integrity of infrastructure projects in South Africa.”