THE outcomes on a preliminary investigation by the Council of the Built Environment into the collapse of a multi-story building in Verulam, north of Durban, on 12 December, which claimed five lives, were presented by the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, at a press briefing on 17 December 2025.
The minister said the investigation found, among others, that there were concerns regarding the quality of construction, that the concrete used was friable and that no building plans were submitted to authorities.
Macpherson highlighted some of the key issues that emerged from the preliminary findings.
“Based on the information available at this point, the structure involved was a reinforced concrete multi-storey building under construction, comprising concrete columns, flat slabs, and masonry walls.
“The collapse occurred while concrete was being poured, with reports indicating that work was underway on the upper levels of the building at the time of the incident.
“Preliminary evidence, including available video footage, points to a sudden structural failure, most likely triggered by a formwork or shuttering failure during the pumping of wet concrete.
“Such a failure can impose significant and abnormal dynamic loads on the floors below – loads that no building is structurally designed to withstand – resulting in a rapid and progressive collapse,” he said.
Macpherson said that early visual assessments had also raised serious concerns regarding the quality of construction, including indications of misaligned structural elements and potentially substandard materials.
“Rescue personnel further reported that the concrete encountered on site appeared friable, which will require further forensic testing as part of the investigation.
“Of particular concern are preliminary indications from the relevant authorities that no approved building plans were submitted, that no construction permits were issued, and that the building may have been occupied prior to the issuance of an occupation certificate, all of which would constitute serious contraventions of the National Building Regulations and Standards.
“In the absence of these submissions, the relevant authorities were deprived of the opportunity to inspect, monitor, or intervene during construction,” he said.
The minister said the site had been formally classified as a crime scene, and will be handed over to the Department of Employment and Labour to continue with statutory investigations alongside other authorities.
“These preliminary findings underscore the seriousness of this incident and the importance of a thorough, coordinated investigation to establish exactly what went wrong, who is responsible, and how similar tragedies can be prevented in future.
“The final determination of the precise failure mechanism will be made through the detailed forensic investigation, as multiple potential contributing factors remain under examination.
However, it is already clear from the preliminary findings that serious lapses occurred in the construction of this building, and these lapses will require full investigation and accountability.”
Macpherson said he had requested that the SAPS investigative team from the Western Cape, which previously led the complex investigation into the George Building collapse, be made available so that local investigators can draw on the experience gained in a similar tragedy, particularly in navigating the technical, evidentiary, and regulatory complexities that arise in cases of major structural failure.
He said he fully supported the following three steps that the Council for the Built Environment (CBE) had recommended to be taken as a precautionary measure:
- Detecting illegal building activities in municipalities across the country,
- Requiring ready-mix concrete providers to notify building control bodies wherever large volumes of concrete are delivered to construction sites across the country to ensure they are known to municipalities,
- Launching a community-based campaign on the importance of building approvals and relevant statutory processes as part of public safety.
Macpherson said both this incident and the George Building collapse have again exposed a fundamental challenge in how the built environment is regulated in South Africa.
