CBE: George building collapse could have been avoided if those responsible followed all construction protocols

The Council for Built Environment (CBE) said that the tragic George building collapse could have been avoided if those responsible followed all construction protocols.
 
The council's CEO, Msizi Myeza, briefed Parliament's portfolio committees on human settlements and on public works on their probe into the incident.
 
Thirty-four construction workers were killed and 28 others seriously injured when a partially built five-storey apartment block caved in in May last year.

A report by the CBE, which investigated the conduct of engineers on site, found that the developer, the contractor, and the engineer were responsible for the tragedy.
 
The flouting of building regulations and the incompetence of the engineer were just some of the findings contained in the report.
 
Myeza said the building collapsed because it was not structurally sound.
 
"We also think that this building collapsed because there were non-compliance issues and violations. We also think that this building collapsed because there were inconsistencies in terms of the norms and standards on what is expected on projects of this nature. We also think that there were also issues of competence that require some attention, and there were also issues of misrepresentation on the professional team that was on site."

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