Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane has called on the building industry to recommit to the laws regulating the industry, stating that failure to do so could lead to fatalities and severe consequences.

May 6 marks the one-year anniversary since a building in George, in the Western Cape, collapsed while under construction, killing 34 workers and seriously injuring 28.

“Today we join families, friends and workers who helplessly witnessed the demise and injuries of their loved ones, a day that could have been avoided had those involved in the project adhered to the laws regulating the building industry,” Simelane said.

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson also commemorated the tragedy, noting that it was entirely preventable.

“This tragedy should never have happened. And as government, as a country, and as human beings, we must be honest about that. It was preventable. And because of that, it must never happen again. The lives lost . . . must not be in vain. To honour their memory, we are compelled to strengthen accountability, fix regulatory failures, and put public safety first. We will work harder to build a construction sector that is ethical, safe, and accountable. We will overhaul the frameworks that have failed you,” he told grieving families in an address in George.

On April 9, Simelane shared a report detailing findings on the collapse and an array of subsequent recommendations. This was after the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC), in line with its mandate to regulate South Africa’s home building industry, initiated an investigation to understand the factors that resulted in the collapse of a residential building still under construction.

The investigation made adverse findings, even implicating some of the officials within the NHBRC. It was promised that the affected officials would be held accountable. Some of the implicated officials have been suspended pending disciplinary actions. They will face several charges, including dereliction of duty, misconduct, negligence, dishonesty and misrepresentation in official inspection reports.

“We will leave no stone unturned. I have directed the NHBRC board to ensure that all recommendations in this report are fully implemented. I expect them to give regular reports on the latter’s implementation,” Simelane said.

Accordingly, a report has been submitted to law enforcement agencies for further investigation. Simelane said she has full confidence that investigations will lead to those implicated being held accountable.

She further assured that NHBRC was not a “toothless” regulator. Through its disciplinary committee, she said the council would continue to take firm actions against non-compliant and unethical builders, as its main role is to protect housing consumers.

Turning to different teams that heeded a call to help during the disaster, Simelane commended the rescue and emergency teams who worked tirelessly to save lives under extremely challenging conditions, stating that their bravery and commitment to humanity have not gone unnoticed.

Macpherson said that the incident should not be used for political grandstanding, as it would be an insult to the memories of those who lost their lives.

“We must resist the temptation to reduce this tragedy to a points-scoring exercise. It is deeply insulting to the families and to the memories of those who perished. What happened in George is not an opportunity to advance one’s own political agenda. The pain, trauma, and human tragedy that occurred call us to work together, not against one another,” he said.

He insisted that those responsible for allowing such failures to occur should be held accountable.

“Our responsibility now is not to posture, but to fix what is broken and ensure that those responsible are held accountable. Across the various sectors of the public sector, there were lapses. And those must be acknowledged honestly. There was clearly a litany of failures. That is why I have insisted that transparency guides our work, and that those who fail in their duties – whether public servants or professionals – must face the consequences,” Macpherson said.

He committed to bringing the culprits to book.

“I commit to you, the grieving families, that justice will be sought. Buildings don’t collapse without reason. They don’t collapse on their own. Accountability cannot be optional when human tragedy takes place at the hands of human beings. The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI), through the Council for the Built Environment (CBE) and its body, the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), has commissioned an in-depth investigation into what went wrong,” Macpherson said.

He acknowledged that there was too little co-operation between entities such as ECSA and the NHBRC responsible for implementation and oversight.

“We expect the final CBE report to be concluded by the end of May. I commit to returning to George and meeting the families personally to explain the findings, and not simply expect them to read about this in the newspaper,” Macpherson said.

He added that the DPWI was also actively engaging with the South African Police Service, the National Prosecuting Authority, and regulatory bodies to ensure that if there is criminal liability, it is acted on swiftly.

“No one should be above the law – not an engineer, not a developer, not an official. Reinforced concrete buildings have been built since the early twentieth century. There is no excuse for a five-storey residential building collapsing during construction in 2024 – not in South Africa, not anywhere. The reforms we are driving are not simply technical – they are moral. When we cut corners, when we delay reforms, when we tolerate incompetence, it is not contracts that get lost. It is lives,” Macpherson said.

He further assured the grieving families that they would be met with the necessary support.

“In too many cases, families have been left without sufficient assistance, without closure, and in many cases, without the income their loved ones used to provide.  Where this support has been lacking, we will correct it. People didn’t just lose sons and daughters—they lost breadwinners, caregivers, and parents. Our duty is to support them, not just with words, but with meaningful intervention,” he said.