JOHANNESBURG – Nine people have died following the collapse of an illegally constructed building in Ormonde, with authorities vowing to blacklist developers and strengthen enforcement of building regulations across the city.
The death toll rose to nine after a two-storey building under construction at the Amethyst Business Park collapsed on Monday, 2 March. Search and rescue operations concluded on Tuesday after the final body was recovered from the rubble. Three people remain in hospital.
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson visited the site on this week and expressed condolences to affected families, whilst raising serious questions about systemic weaknesses in building oversight.
“We should never normalise the collapse of any building. Buildings are not meant to collapse and therefore, there must have been serious failures that led to the tragedy we witnessed,” Macpherson said.
The minister said the Council for the Built Environment, which regulates professionals within the built environment sector, will investigate whether professional negligence, contravention of mandatory standards or misconduct took place.
“We are determined to get to the bottom of this and will release the findings publicly once the investigation has concluded. We will not hesitate to take action against any individual found to be complicit,” he said.
Macpherson said he would expedite a meeting with the Minister of Human Settlements to review the regulation and enforcement of building standards in South Africa.
The City of Johannesburg confirmed on Wednesday that the building was illegally constructed and authorities cannot find any approved plans for the structure.
City Manager Floyd Brink announced the city would blacklist and prosecute non-compliant developers “where appropriate” and has ordered an immediate city-wide audit of developments.
“We cannot seem to find any form of approved plans” for the structure, Brink said, indicating the building may have been constructed without obtaining required Spatial Development Framework approvals.
MMC for Development Planning Eunice Mgcina said the city “will not tolerate illegal development”, whilst authorities suspect poor workmanship contributed to the collapse.
The city has announced stricter enforcement measures, including tougher verification of approvals, on-the-ground enforcement led by the city manager’s office, and strengthened monitoring and compliance across all stages of development.
MMC for Public Safety Mgcini Tshwaku said the first-floor concrete slab gave way during working hours, causing the two storeys to separate. Authorities have ruled out a transformer explosion as the cause.
Tshwaku noted dangerous site conditions, including overhead live power lines near the structure, which complicated rescue operations.
The tragedy comes as the investigation into the George building collapse continues. A multi-storey residential building under construction in Victoria Street, George, collapsed on 6 May 2024, killing 34 people.
Investigation outcomes released in July 2025 indicated serious safety concerns, poor material quality and a lack of oversight as contributing factors to that disaster. The investigation was transferred to the National Prosecuting Authority in February this year.
Macpherson acknowledged that repeated building collapses point to deeper structural issues requiring urgent review.
“As we work to turn South Africa into a construction site, it is critical that we do so in an environment where building construction can be trusted and the loss of life avoided. By working together to find solutions, I have no doubt that we can strengthen the regulatory environment,” the minister said.
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