The Congress of the South African Trade Unions (COSATU) eagerly awaits the arrest of those implicated in the tragic collapse of the building in George, Western Cape, two years ago.

The Federation notes that the South African Police Service has concluded their investigations into the matter as per the announcement by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure.

COSATU joins the Department in calling on the National Prosecuting Authority to promptly institute prosecutions and attain justice for the 34 workers who lost their lives and those who were injured. The building caved in while 60 workers were on site, causing untold loss of life, limb and jobs for these workers and inflicting terrible trauma upon their families. 

The subsequent investigations into this devastating catastrophe have proven that negligence and blatant disregard for the law are to blame. The engineer responsible for signing off on the construction plans has since been found guilty of five contraventions of the law and suspended. Neo Victoria, the company at the centre of it all, was found by a report by the Department of Human Settlements to have undermined key regulatory processes including non-compliance of standards established by the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC).

The culprits were able to commence with construction before the property was registered or approvals finalised. Their reckless practices went as far as misrepresenting inspection reports. Now that these unfortunate findings are complete, there shouldn’t be any delays in bringing forward criminal charges, ensuring full accountability.

Regulations are set to enforce safe systems within the industry to protect both workers and residents. Blatantly flouting them is a deliberate act that is deserving of time behind bars. In addition to the non-compliance, the company ignored conditions of employment such as the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act.

We expect and demand swift action by the National Prosecuting Authority. The families are entitled to their closure. The arm of the law is also pressing to avoid the reoccurrence of such incidents. An urgent message is needed to the role players in the industry to put an end to persistent violations as we have witnessed other building collapses in Redcliffe, North of Durban, in KwaZulu-Natal and in Ormonde, Johannesburg recently.

Time wasted would be a travesty. 

Issued by COSATU

Nonzuzo Dlamini (Communication Officer)

Mobile: 066 194 3619

Email: nonzuzo@cosatu.org.za