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The Citizen reports that the George Municipality faced sharp criticism from members of parliament during a joint portfolio committee meeting on Wednesday for refusing to disclose findings about the deadly building collapse in May 2024.
The four-storey building under construction in George collapsed on 6 May 2024, trapping 62 workers under rubble and leading to 34 deaths. George Mayor Jackie von Brandis and Municipal Manager Godfrey Louw defended their decision not to release the structural engineering report. “The investigating officer who was handling the case on behalf of South African Police Service (Saps), his instruction to us was do not reveal the reports to anybody,” Louw told the committee. However, Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile, who led the Saps delegation, contradicted this. “I don’t recall that we gave [that instruction], but what we discouraged was the publication to the media of the findings while it is still under investigation,” he indicated.
Committee members expressed frustration with what they perceived as the municipality’s lack of cooperation. Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements, Albert Seabi, demanded full transparency regarding the council’s resolutions and the approval process for the building plans. Saps reported that their investigation was nearing completion, with Patekile stating they anticipated concluding their report by the end of December 2025.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Enkosi Selane at The Citizen
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