Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson has instructed the Council for the Built Environment (CBE) to launch a full investigation into the collapse of a double-storey building in Doornkop, Soweto, which claimed the lives of three people, including a child. The structure collapsed in the early hours of the morning, with Johannesburg Emergency Management Services confirming that the alarm was raised shortly after 3am.
Six people were inside the building at the time. All were rescued and transported to Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, where a child and two women later succumbed to their injuries. The condition of the remaining three patients has not yet been disclosed.
Macpherson said the probe will determine the cause of the collapse, identify any responsible parties and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents. He expressed condolences to the affected families and stressed that the investigation will be thorough, transparent and carried out in cooperation with regulatory authorities.
He reaffirmed that the safety of workers and the public remains a top priority for the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, adding that due process will be followed and appropriate action taken once all facts are established.
This tragedy comes shortly after another fatal building collapse in Verulam earlier this month, which killed five people and renewed urgent concerns over construction safety and compliance standards in South Africa.