By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde received an update on the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) investigation into the George building collapse.
On May 6, 2024, the Neo Victoria project, a residential building that was still under construction, collapsed without warning, claiming the lives of 34 of the 62 construction workers on site.
Many of the survivors were also critically injured. Rescue efforts to extract survivors from the debris continued for about a week after the collapse.
In the aftermath, multiple investigations were initiated to determine the cause of the collapse and to hold accountable those responsible. The Department of Employment and Labour took over the site to conduct a formal inquiry, with additional investigations launched by provincial authorities and law enforcement agencies.
Winde was informed that the SAPS investigation is 65% complete.
Winde and Lt Gen Thembisile Patekile, Western Cape provincial commissioner agreed that it must be urgently concluded, but that the investigation must be thorough and the case watertight to stand up to prosecutorial scrutiny.
Premier cautioned, “We cannot allow this matter to be tried in the media. This will not offer the survivors, their families, and the relatives of those who died any closure. They deserve to have this matter handled professionally and transparently, with care and compassion.”
He urged the commissioner to take the necessary steps to expedite this matter, as the SAPS is the lead agency responsible for investigating incidents of this nature.
At the end of January, the Premier handed over the report containing the structural engineering findings from the independent investigation commissioned by the Western Cape Government into the disaster to Lt Gen Patekile and the investigation team.
The provincial government deemed it necessary to launch its own investigation, given the scale of the tragedy and its profound impact on the residents of the province. The Western Cape Government firmly believes that the technical findings in the report are of such a nature that they will assist the SAPS investigation, concluded Winde.