Ormonde building collapse developer appoints investigation team
The developer of the building which collapsed in Ormonde, south of Johannesburg has appointed an independent team to investigation the cause of the incident.
New Order Investments has come under scrutiny after the multi-story structure, which was still under construction, collapsed on Monday, killing nine construction workers.
Three other workers were injured.
In a statement, New Order Investments said the team includes structural engineers, health and safety practitioners, and other relevant specialists.
"The purpose of the investigation is to establish the facts, assess compliance with all applicable building and safety standards, and determine the appropriate remedial steps,” the company said.
It added that safety is their number one priority and that they are cooperating with relevant authorities.
New Order said it will provide appropriate support to the families of the deceased and the inured.
Public Works and Infrastructure Development Minister Dean Macpherson visited the site on Tuesday and said the incident has exposed how the country’s built environment is regulated.
This is the third collapse in the past three months, raising serious concerns about systemic weaknesses in the regulation and enforcement of building standards.
“We need to be frank in acknowledging that repeated building collapses point to deeper
structural issues that must be urgently reviewed to improve building safety and construction oversight,” the minister told the media.
Macpherson said confirmed that the Council for the Built Environment will investigating the incident to determine whether professional negligence or misconduct occurred.
"I will expedite engagements at the national level to review regulatory oversight and prevent similar tragedies." he added.
Labour and Employment Minister Jomo Sibiya also attended the scene and said the incident could have been avoided if the developers had complied with the necessary building regulations.
The city of Johannesburg said the building violated the City's bylaws, as proper procedures were not followed.
The structure was build next to Eskom power lines which is a contravention of the municipal by-laws.
According to city, there is no record of approval from municipality, and the building plans were not submitted for review or formally sanctioned.
"The required permits were not obtained, and mandatory inspections were not conducted in accordance with local regulations," Johannesburg EMS said in a statement.
"Consequently, the structure does not meet established city planning and building standards and is classified as an unlawful development under applicable bylaws."
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