Almost two years after the George building collapse tragedy that claimed 34 lives, there are still no clear answers as to who will be held accountable for the disaster that forensic investigators have attributed to systemic regulatory failures.
The Democratic Alliance in the Western Cape has called on the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to provide an update on the criminal investigation, which remains incomplete more than a year after authorities received a critical structural engineering report.
The partially built apartment block at 75 Victoria Street collapsed on 6 May 2024 at about 14:09, killing 34 construction workers and injuring 16 others. A massive rescue operation followed, with emergency workers searching through the rubble for days. Among the survivors was Gabriel Guambe, who was pulled from the debris after being trapped for 118 hours.
A forensic inquiry by the National Home Builders Registration Council identified systemic regulatory failures, non-compliance with building standards, poor material quality and breaches of occupational health and safety protocols as the cause of the collapse. The report found irregularities in the builder’s registration and enrolment certification, and that inspection and safety requirements had been ignored.
Premier Alan Winde handed over the Western Cape government’s independent structural engineering report to SAPS on 30 January 2025. Despite SAPS indicating that the investigation would be finalised by November 2025, no conclusion has been reached and no arrests have been made.
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The NPA, which appointed a dedicated prosecutor to the case, has not provided any update on its progress.
Dirk Wessels, DA Western Cape spokesperson on infrastructure, said 21 months had passed since the deaths occurred.
“It has been over a year since SAPS received a critical structural engineering report that should have accelerated this investigation. However, we sit here today with no answers, no arrests, and no prosecutions,” Wessels said.
The DA said it would continue to press both SAPS and the NPA to provide a clear timeline and finalise the investigation without further delay.
ALSO READ: George building collapse ‘entirely preventable’, investigation finds
