Rescue workers from the City of Joburg continue their operations following a building collapse that has claimed eight lives in Ormonde.
Image: Supplied
While the City of Joburg continues to track and trace the owners of the Ormonde building, the death toll of the collapsed structure has risen from six to eight after the recovery of two more bodies that had been unaccounted for on Monday.
On Tuesday, following the calamity, Joburg Mayor Dada Morero, who visited the collapsed two-storey building, revealed that the owner of the structure remains at large.
Morero further confirmed reports that the construction of the two-storey building did not meet the legal and structural requirements of the city, thus posing a danger to workers and the public at large.
The implications of this tragedy have extended beyond immediate rescue efforts, with Morero pointing out the many flaws that dominate the construction site, including the fact that the entire building stood on an unsuitable piece of land.
City of Joburg Mayor Dada Morero has promised tough action against those involved in non-compliant construction projects in the city.
Image: Supplied
According to the Emergency Medical Services (EMS), 12 workers were in the building when the incident took place at the Amethyst Business Park, where now only one of the three workers remains trapped.
"From our inspections, we can confirm that there were no plans for the structure, hence we are still battling with tracing and tracking the owners of the building. What we know is that the building belongs to a company. We are still trying to trace. We also know that the developers were still on site yesterday, but they have since switched off their phones," the mayor stated.
As a result, Morero indicated that the city will soon commence the demolition of the structure, with further efforts being made to stop other construction sites from going ahead with their non-compliant projects.
Morero further explained that it might take emergency services and rescue workers at least another day or two to retrieve those believed to be trapped underneath the rubble.
"Our teams are on the ground assessing the damage. We are certain that, for now, the tragedy is a result of a concrete slab that was not properly constructed. It is now confirmed that the building, structurally, was not sound," he added.
To curb and deal with lawlessness and endemic failure to abide by the city laws, the mayor revealed that the city will soon dispatch inspectors to all construction sites.
"We will be sending out inspectors with the MMC, especially to areas where industrial factories have been built, so that we can ensure that everyone follows the city laws."
Morero's Tuesday visit was preceded by President Cyril Ramaphosa's deep condolences to the families of the departed workers, and those said to be still trapped in the rubble on Monday night.
Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson for the Presidency, said Ramaphosa expects that an inquiry into the collapse will provide answers to the families of the deceased and to survivors, and that such an inquiry will help to prevent a recurrence of a tragedy such as this.
Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Development, Dean Macpherson, is expected to visit the site later on Tuesday, where he is expected to pronounce on the next legal steps being taken by the government in relation to the tragedy.
siyabonga.sithole@inl.co.za