The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) demands immediate criminal prosecution of those responsible for the deaths of 34 workers in the George building collapse.
This was said by MKP spokesperson and member of parliament Nhlamulo Ndhlela in a media statement released on Wednesday following a recent oversight visit.
Ndhlela accused the Government of National Unity (GNU) of complicity and cover-ups, saying this was not a “freak accident” but the result of a systemic failure caused by greed, corruption, and criminal negligence.
“If the so-called GNU continues to shield the guilty, let it be known that they are accomplices in the deaths of 34 workers. The MK Party will make sure that South Africa never forgets,” said Ndhlela.
Site-visit account
Following the MKP oversight visit to George, he said he wants to see new laws allowing worker-led safety committees to shut down unsafe construction sites and for all contractors and professionals found guilty to be ostracised.
He said a government-led inquiry confirmed that serious structural faults had been flagged as early as 2023, before the building collapsed on May 6 2024.
Ndhlela said the Council for the Built Environment, the Engineering Council of South Africa, and the National Home Builders Registration Council all released damning findings, including that workers had reported dangerous vibrations in the roof slab and cracks in the support columns two days before the collapse.
These warnings, he said, were ignored and allegedly patched over with sand and cement by the site manager instead of halting construction.
“Also important to note is the fact that the concrete in the slabs measured only 13 MPa, far below the required 19-25 MPa, indicating a basic failure in the composition of materials used,” said Ndhlela.
One storey morphed to five
He added that the project was registered as a single-storey building, but they were rather constructing a five-storey building. Credentials were misused to bypass inspections, and a safety consultant even resigned mid-project, citing an inability to ensure safety as violations continued unchecked, said Ndhlela.
“The Engineering Council of South Africa cancelled the engineer’s registration, citing five major professional violations, including misrepresenting qualifications and endangering public safety, and imposed the maximum allowable fine.
“The MK Party’s oversight visit to George reaffirmed the investigation’s findings, and community engagement confirmed red flags were raised repeatedly but were deliberately ignored, municipal and NHBRC inspectors failed to intervene, and families of victims remain without proper compensation,” said Ndhlela.
Ndhlela said the NHBRC and other oversight bodies should be replaced with transparent and community-accountable institutions.
He further demands that each municipality establish community oversight panels and that laws be passed to hold public officials personally liable for deaths that occur under their watch.
“The MK Party will do more than mourn. We will fight to have the names of officials, councils, and firms responsible published. We stand firmly with the affected families and will ensure compensation and transparency as we will push for real justice, not performative responses,” said Ndhlela.
