Moneyweb reports that the Southern Sun Hotel in Rosebank, Johannesburg, has been temporarily closed to assess the extent of the damage caused by a severe hailstorm that gripped parts of the city on Monday night.
The hotel group confirmed on Tuesday that the decision to halt operations at the hotel came after the roof above its restaurant gave in to the weight of ice and water that had built up during the hailstorm. An assessment process has already begun. The severe weather event and subsequent roof collapse called for an evacuation of the premises, where, fortunately, no serious injuries were reported. All guests were relocated to nearby group-owned hotels. The Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) has given the group a week to furnish it with a structural report and 60 days to attend to the damage to the hotel. On Wednesday, the DEL undertook a countrywide inspection of Southern Sun hotels, including the now temporarily closed Rosebank hotel. According to a statement issued by the DEL, the inspection exercise led by inspector general Aggy Moiloa, sought to understand the root “cause of the ceiling collapse, devise mechanisms to prevent future incidents and ensure compliance”. Moiloa added: “We believe that it’ll also be an opportune time to engage with the Southern Sun Hotel’s management on processes that would contribute towards improved compliance with the labour laws.”
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Akhona Matshoba at Moneyweb
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