Investigations into several deadly building collapses in Gauteng and the Western Cape have identified non-compliance, inadequate oversight and poor record-keeping as major contributing factors.
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson briefed the media in Pretoria, outlining findings from investigations into a series of building collapses that have claimed dozens of lives and injured scores of people.
Macpherson said some investigations were hampered by the absence of basic records, including documentation identifying those responsible for the design, construction and supervision of buildings.
“On 6 May 2024, a multi-storey residential building under construction in George collapsed, claiming 34 lives,” the minister said.
The George disaster prompted an extensive investigation by the Council for the Built Environment, which identified serious failures across the regulatory, professional and construction sectors.
However, George was not the last major incident.
On 12 December 2025, a five-storey building under construction at the River Range Ranch Temple site in Redcliffe, Verulam, collapsed, killing five people and injuring 11.
On 28 December, part of a two-storey residential structure in Doornkop, Soweto, collapsed, killing three members of one family and injuring three others.
On 17 February 2026, temporary falsework failed at the Magnolia residential development in Sea Point, Cape Town, injuring four workers.
Then, on 2 March, part of an industrial building under construction in Ormonde, Johannesburg, collapsed, killing nine workers and injuring six.
Macpherson said the four investigations under discussion accounted for 17 deaths and 24 injuries.
Missing records hamper Redcliffe investigation
The investigation into the Redcliffe collapse in eThekwini highlighted the extent of the regulatory and documentation problems.
A temple had already been constructed on the property when a five-storey reinforced-concrete administrative and office building was erected immediately adjacent to it.
At about 11:55am on 12 December, while concrete was being poured on the upper levels, the building collapsed, killing five people and injuring 11.
According to Macpherson, investigators could not establish a single technical cause because crucial information was either unavailable or could not be obtained.
“No complete structural drawings could be located,” he said.
“No responsible construction team could be identified. And no built-environment professional responsible for the design and supervision of the five-storey building could be positively identified.”
Dolomite areas raise further concerns
Macpherson also raised concerns about construction and land management in Gauteng areas affected by dolomite, which can pose significant risks to infrastructure when not properly managed.
The investigation identified weaknesses in Johannesburg’s broader management of dolomitic land, including concerns over whether adequate dedicated dolomite risk-management capacity had been established.
It also highlighted weaknesses in systems for managing known dolomite risks, shortcomings in preventing unlawful occupation of particularly high-risk land, and inadequate public awareness and mechanisms for reporting potential hazards.
The report further identified occupied properties in areas that had previously been considered unsafe.
The findings have renewed questions about compliance with building regulations, professional accountability and the effectiveness of oversight mechanisms intended to prevent construction failures.
The investigations underscore the need for stronger record-keeping, clearer accountability and stricter enforcement of building and construction regulations to prevent further loss of life.