Pardon my late hypothesis of the George building collapse as I have been travelling in regions with non-existent networks.
Three-thousand tons of flattened concrete and 33 bodies later, the question lingers: What went wrong? For the superstitious, could this have been the harbinger for the collapse of the ANC in the national general elections?
The cost of the two-week search, rescue and recovery programme and insurance claims will probably run into millions of rand, but it is nothing compared to the loss of life and the pain and grief it has left in its wake.
In the aftermath, the collapse of the Tongaat shopping complex in 2013, the Meyersdal building in 2014 and the Jagersfontein dam wall in 2022 immediately came to mind.
It is not common in South Africa, but building collapse is a global occurrence, with India and Nigeria the leaders in structural deficiencies in construction.
Many building collapses are due to management and operational failure. University research into the Tongaat Mall collapse concluded that regulatory functions and non-adherence to compliance requirements were severely compromised on the project, resulting in two people being killed and 29 injured.
Who’s to blame for the George disaster? Structural engineers, foundation geologists, developers, building inspectors or building contractors? Or is it substandard material, cheap cement and steel?
Perhaps the problem lies in an inexperienced and unprofessional workforce. It is alleged the bulk of the workers were foreigners – a case of cheap labour (just like Qatar during the stadium construction for the World Cup). It is alleged many on-site workers fled the scene because they were illegally in SA.
Hopefully, the new minister of home affairs, possibly a patriot like Gayton McKenzie, will be on their tail soon.
It is alarming that no site register was kept. It is blatantly evident that occupational health and safety standards are being flouted to fast-track building developments to beat time-constraints because time is money. Certain mandatory stages in a building construction are governed by time – drying and setting. Are these being sidestepped? In South Africa, if your blood samples can disappear for a drunk driving charge and you can buy your driving licence, then you can pay a building inspector to pass your building.
In Lagos, Nigeria, on September 12, 2014, part of the Synagogue Church of all Nations crumbled, killing 115 worshippers, including some South Africans. The church was the exclusive domain of the charismatic preacher, TB Joshua. Coming back to superstition, his clergy emissaries claimed a plane was seen flying over the building just before the “supernatural” collapse. Joshua himself, at only 57, died a few years later.
One of the major causes of a building collapse is when internal load-bearing structural elements fail; then a building will collapse into itself and the exterior walls will be pulled into the falling structure. It is probable this can often be caused by construction activity in the absence of earth tremors or quakes or synchronised dynamite activation. Indubitably, construction accident causations require structured analysis to prevent future similar accidents.
While the dust has settled to a certain extent and the angry caterpillars (excavators) have moved out of sight, memories of the tragedy will continue to haunt George.
A heartfelt thank you to the Western Cape government, George and sister municipalities, essential services, search, rescue and recovery teams and dedicated citizens for the passion and professional manner in which they handled a tragedy that made world headlines.
* Kevin Govender, Shallcross.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media
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