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"contents": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The George building collapse is an indictment of municipal officials, the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC), the developer and others who have been implicated, including those who ignored norms and standards.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The question now is just how many other projects have those who face criminal charges been involved in, and what is the quality of that work? </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can those homeowners who take out expensive bonds for these “luxury” projects before completion rely on the relevant authorities and bodies to ensure they are not spending money on a dangerous dud. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The construction industry in this country is a significant economic driver, valued at around $25.5-billion (about R5-billion) and employing more than 1.2 million people. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is an industry that has, for some decades, been plagued by greed, corruption and criminality, and considering the industry’s considerable contribution to the country’s GDP, it must be vigorously policed.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Western Cape Premier Alan Winde has yet to release a forensic report commissioned by the province. A report made public last week by Minister of Human Settlements, Thembi Simelane, contained damning findings.</span>\r\n\r\n<b>Read more: </b><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-04-09-george-building-collapse-deaths-werent-in-vain-as-probe-reveals-shortcomings-simelane/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">George building collapse deaths weren’t ‘in vain’ as probe reveals shortcomings — Simelane</span></a>\r\n<h4><strong>Council report</strong></h4>\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-2671949 size-full\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ED_502723-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Rescuers on site at the George building collapse\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1531\" /> <em>According to the NHBRC report, officials failed to undertake a proper technical assessment of the 75 Victoria development in George to ensure the contractor could manage the expanded scope of the project. (Photo: Jaco Marais / Die Burger / Gallo Images) </em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The NHBRC report indicated that the building was originally registered with the council as a single-storey development. However, at the stage of enrolling the project with the NHBRC, the development had been altered to a multi-storey building. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Simelane, officials at the NHBRC failed to undertake a proper technical assessment to ensure the contractor could manage the expanded scope of the project.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Several NHBRC officials implicated in the report have been suspended and Simelane said they will be held to account.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Charges that will be brought include dereliction of duty, misconduct, negligence, dishonesty and misrepresentation in official inspection reports.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A crack South African Police Service team has been investigating the tragedy and is in the process of completing its submission to the National Prosecuting Authority. It is only a matter of time before what will be one of the most revelatory and sensational criminal trials begins in the High Court.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As Simelane said, the deaths of those trapped in the rubble will not be in vain, but it came at a great cost to those families left behind.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hopefully the new Housing Consumer Protection Act, signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa last year, will be applied and that the changes to the legislative framework for the home-building industry will be enforced.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The new law emphasises the professionalisation of inspectors and requires the council to establish and maintain a register of home-builders and developers. </span><b>DM</b>",
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"description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The George building collapse is an indictment of municipal officials, the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC), the developer and others who have been implicated, including those who ignored norms and standards.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The question now is just how many other projects have those who face criminal charges been involved in, and what is the quality of that work? </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can those homeowners who take out expensive bonds for these “luxury” projects before completion rely on the relevant authorities and bodies to ensure they are not spending money on a dangerous dud. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The construction industry in this country is a significant economic driver, valued at around $25.5-billion (about R5-billion) and employing more than 1.2 million people. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is an industry that has, for some decades, been plagued by greed, corruption and criminality, and considering the industry’s considerable contribution to the country’s GDP, it must be vigorously policed.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Western Cape Premier Alan Winde has yet to release a forensic report commissioned by the province. A report made public last week by Minister of Human Settlements, Thembi Simelane, contained damning findings.</span>\r\n\r\n<b>Read more: </b><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-04-09-george-building-collapse-deaths-werent-in-vain-as-probe-reveals-shortcomings-simelane/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">George building collapse deaths weren’t ‘in vain’ as probe reveals shortcomings — Simelane</span></a>\r\n<h4><strong>Council report</strong></h4>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2671949\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"2560\"]<img class=\"wp-image-2671949 size-full\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ED_502723-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Rescuers on site at the George building collapse\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1531\" /> <em>According to the NHBRC report, officials failed to undertake a proper technical assessment of the 75 Victoria development in George to ensure the contractor could manage the expanded scope of the project. (Photo: Jaco Marais / Die Burger / Gallo Images) </em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The NHBRC report indicated that the building was originally registered with the council as a single-storey development. However, at the stage of enrolling the project with the NHBRC, the development had been altered to a multi-storey building. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Simelane, officials at the NHBRC failed to undertake a proper technical assessment to ensure the contractor could manage the expanded scope of the project.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Several NHBRC officials implicated in the report have been suspended and Simelane said they will be held to account.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Charges that will be brought include dereliction of duty, misconduct, negligence, dishonesty and misrepresentation in official inspection reports.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A crack South African Police Service team has been investigating the tragedy and is in the process of completing its submission to the National Prosecuting Authority. It is only a matter of time before what will be one of the most revelatory and sensational criminal trials begins in the High Court.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As Simelane said, the deaths of those trapped in the rubble will not be in vain, but it came at a great cost to those families left behind.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hopefully the new Housing Consumer Protection Act, signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa last year, will be applied and that the changes to the legislative framework for the home-building industry will be enforced.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The new law emphasises the professionalisation of inspectors and requires the council to establish and maintain a register of home-builders and developers. </span><b>DM</b>",
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According to the NHBRC report, officials failed to undertake a proper technical assessment of the 75 Victoria development in George to ensure the contractor could manage the expanded scope of the project. (Photo: Jaco Marais / Die Burger / Gallo Images)