The collapsed building in Ormonde, south of Johannesburg, could be demolished if those responsible fail to account for the tragedy that claimed nine lives. This was said by Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson said on Tuesday.
Image: Timothy Bernanard/Independent Newspapers
Public Works and Infrastructure Development Minister Dean Macpherson has warned that the City of Johannesburg will demolish a collapsed building in Ormonde if the company responsible fails to come forward and take accountability, as the death toll rose to nine.
Macpherson was briefing the media at the site on Tuesday afternoon.
He was joined by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and newly appointed City of Johannesburg Deputy Mayor Loyiso Masuku.
Nine bodies have now been recovered following the resumption of search-and-rescue operations in the morning, bringing the death toll to nine.
Some of the deceased were foreign nationals, including individuals believed to be from Lesotho.
Operations were suspended on Monday night after six people were confirmed dead.
Two workers had remained trapped under the rubble on Monday, while one person was initially reported missing.
All were later found deceased. Three people are recovering in hospital.
Macpherson expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and paid tribute to rescue workers.
“I also want to pay tribute to our brave rescue women and men who put their lives on the line to rescue those trapped under the rubble. They always rush into these situations, putting their safety second and the desire to save lives first,” he said.
Public Works and Infrastructure Development Minister Dean Macpherson has warned that the City of Johannesburg will demolish a collapsed building in Ormonde if the company responsible fails to take accountability.
Image: Simon Majadibodu/IOL
“No words will ever be able to capture the pain of losing a loved one in such a devastating manner, particularly those who are breadwinners and working every day to support their families.
“As the government, we recognise that behind every statistic is a family. There are families whose fathers are not coming home today, and that should move us - not only in pain, but to act.”
He said his department would extend full support to the Gauteng provincial government and the city, as well as to emergency services involved in the rescue efforts.
The minister was also joined by Council for the Built Environment CEO Dr Msizi Myeza.
He said the purpose of the visit was to gain an initial understanding of the circumstances surrounding the collapse and to ensure all relevant regulatory processes were triggered without delay.
“At this stage, our focus remains on supporting family members. It would be premature and irresponsible to speculate on the causes of the collapse while families are still grieving,” he said.
However, Macpherson noted that this was the third building collapse in recent months.
“Each incident carries its own specific circumstances, but cumulatively we must understand what is behind these collapses and what more we can do as the government. We must confront whether systemic conditions are allowing these tragedies to occur. This demands a crisis response.”
He said he had briefly interacted with President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday, who later issued a statement expressing concern.
Macpherson said the incident exposed challenges in how the built environment is regulated in South Africa, with responsibility for building control, workplace safety and professional regulation spread across multiple departments and spheres of government.
Nine people died after a building collapsed in Ormonde, South of Johannesburg on Monday afternoon.
Image: Timothy Bernard / Independent Newspapers
“When these systems do not operate in a fully co-ordinated manner, gaps emerge in oversight, compliance and accountability, particularly where unlawful construction occurs or buildings are occupied without approval,” he said.
He called on the construction company, New Order Inv, to come forward and take accountability.
“I want to call on the company that constructed this building to come forward and take accountability. If any member of the public knows where the owner of this company is, they should immediately contact the SAPS or local law enforcement,” he said.
He warned that if the company failed to do so, the city would be forced to demolish the structure and assess nearby buildings.
City manager Floyd Brink said the municipality would meet with building control and land inspectors to conduct an audit in the area and elsewhere.
“We have about 102 inspectors in the city, including 59 building control inspectors. In Region F, we have 15 inspectors,” Brink said.
They would report back within weeks alongside the MMC for Development Planning, Eunice Mgcina.
Masuku said no building plans had been approved by the city.
“In this particular instance, there was no application. There was no request by the builder,” she said.
She acknowledged a significant backlog in building plan approvals but said the city was working to digitise the process after relocating from the closed Metro Centre building to speed up approvals.
Earlier, City of Johannesburg divisional chief for Emergency Management Services (EMS) Freddy Morukhu said the building had not been properly constructed and could have collapsed at any time.
Emergency services received a call reporting a structural collapse and activated a specialised rescue team.
“During the assessment, two bodies were visible from outside the building. We could hear people screaming from inside, which indicated there was still life in the structure,” Morukhu said.
Three people were rescued alive and transported to hospital before recovery operations began. Six bodies were recovered by 11pm on Monday before operations were halted due to safety risks and darkness.
“The building was extremely unsafe. Because of the risks and nightfall, we suspended operations and resumed at 6am,” he said.
On Tuesday morning, three additional bodies were recovered.
“The structure was unstable. Concrete slabs and steel were scattered everywhere. We had to stabilise the building before entering. To remove victims, we had to breach concrete using pneumatic cutting tools,” Morukhu said.
The City of Johannesburg may be forced to demolish the building that collapsed in Ormonde, which claimed nine lives of people, if the company identified that building the structure fails to present itself to authorities.
Image: Supplied
Deputy Labour Minister Jomo Sibiya, who visited the site earlier on Tuesday with Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero, attributed the collapse to non-compliance with regulations.
“What we see here is not what we should see if everyone took compliance seriously. If we complied with established laws, including labour laws, we would not be in this situation,” Sibiya said.
He said the site will be handed over to the South African Police Service (SAPS) for investigation before being transferred to the Department of Labour for a formal probe under Section 31.
A team from the Compensation Fund has been deployed to assist affected families.
Sibiya confirmed that the main contractor was registered with the relevant authorities, while two subcontractors were registered with the department and the Compensation Fund.
Sibiya said the tragedy underscored the need for stricter enforcement of regulations nationwide.
“If we fail to comply with established laws, we put workers and communities at risk. That is why we find ourselves in this unfortunate situation today,” he said.
Meanwhile, Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi confirmed the police are investigating nine cases of inquest.
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