Minister wants George collapse investigators to assist with Verulam temple tragedy

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson has requested the SAPS investigative team from the Western Cape which led the investigation into the George building collapse, be made available to support and collaborate with the KwaZulu-Natal SAPS team responsible for the Verulam temple investigation.

Last Friday’s structural failure in Verulam resulted in the deaths of five individuals and numerous injuries.

The George building collapse in May 2024 claimed the lives of 34 people and injured many others.

Macpherson emphasised the urgent need for accountability, saying that as long as the people are not held accountable, there is little incentive to comply. 

“I hold the view that if people die through negligence, that is criminal, and there should be consequences for that,” Macpherson said.

“That’s why we are so determined to protect the integrity of the George investigation, because 34 people cannot die on a site and there be no consequences, or you just lose your licence as an engineer or an architect or whatever.”

Macpherson said society will refuse this response to such a tragedy. 

“There have been many people who have, whether they’re political parties or commentariats or whoever, who have pressured us to release the George report in all of its technical detail at the expense of compromising the investigation. We won’t do that. We cannot do that because I’m not going to see people achieve a few headlines so that others can then walk off scot-free.” 

He praised how the police had approached the George investigation. 

Macpherson said that given the seriousness of the preliminary findings, the loss of life, and the clear indications of potential criminality, they have taken steps to ensure that the criminal investigation into this collapse is thorough, coordinated, and informed by prior experience. 

“On Sunday afternoon, I formally wrote to the Minister of Police, Minister Cachalia, to request his assistance in facilitating inter-provincial cooperation within the South African Police Service in relation to this investigation,” Macpherson said.

“Specifically, I requested that the SAPS investigative team from the Western Cape, which previously led the complex investigation into the George building collapse, be made available, where appropriate, to support and collaborate with the KwaZulu-Natal SAPS team responsible for the eThekwini investigation.” 

Macpherson said the request aims to strengthen, not replace, local investigative capacity. It seeks to leverage experience from a similar tragedy to help navigate the technical, evidentiary, and regulatory complexities typical of a major structural failure.

His department and the Council for the Built Environment (CBE) are leading the technical probe into the collapse. They stand ready to assist the SAPS to ensure accountability, justice for affected families, and the prevention of future incidents.

The minister believes the George tragedy will set a precedent for handling similar collapses.

“I think that if we get it right, that will inform the possible culpability in this tragedy. Only through consequences and holding people accountable is part of the reform agenda that we want to see in the built environment.”

He added that the fragmentation of the built environment across various departments, from national government to municipalities, despite the department being the custodian, is “a total recipe for disaster”. They believe a single “one-stop shop” for the building environment should exist within the department. The George report recommends this, suggesting that regulations and legislation from other departments should be moved to Public Works.

Macpherson stated that the Cabinet will receive the consolidated report and must consider the entire construction environment, emphasising the need for direct communication and coordination with local government regarding plan approvals and rezoning.

CBE CEO Dr Msizi Myeza said that in response to the Verulam collapse, the council activated its Emergency Incident Response Protocol, which was developed after the George building collapse.

Cape Times