Public Works probe into George building collapse completed, findings yet to be shared
The collapse, which took place more than a year ago, killed 34 people and injured 28.
Macpherson has committed to meet with the families of those killed in the collapse to unpack the report.
A report into the collapse of the George building has landed on the desk of Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson.
Macpherson's department commissioned the report, which was compiled by the Council for the Built Environment (CBE), as part of the probes in the collapse of the five-storey construction site. The incident left 34 dead. Twenty-eight people were pulled from the rubble alive, but many have been left with severe injuries.
Macpherson said the report 'marks a critical step in the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure's commitment to uncover the truth behind this preventable disaster' and ensure that those responsible are held to account.
'As the Department, we will now carefully study the report to develop a pathway forward to ensure that a tragedy such as the George building collapse never happens again. As I have previously committed, after studying the report, I will personally return to George to present the findings of this report to the families affected by this tragedy,' he said.
'They deserve to hear directly from us, not through the media, about what went wrong and how we intend to rectify it.'
Macpherson said that the collapse resulted from 'systemic failures across various regulatory bodies and a lack of cooperation among key stakeholders'.
He said his department will continue to work with the police, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), and other relevant regulatory bodies to ensure accountability.
'The collapse of the George building was entirely preventable, and we will therefore work towards accountability and address any errors which may have been identified. By working together, we are ensuring a safe and secure construction sector for all stakeholders.'
Luke Daniel/News24
The report is among several commissioned by various organisations into the collapse.
Two weeks ago, the George Municipality received the final report in an independent structural investigation of the site, which was commissioned and undertaken by Engineering Design Services (EDS) on behalf of the municipality.
'The final report has been submitted to the police and forms part of the official evidence bundle in the ongoing criminal investigation. Therefore, the report will not be made public or tabled to the Council. The Municipality remains committed to fully cooperating with SAPS and other relevant authorities and supports efforts to conclude the investigation as swiftly and thoroughly as possible,' the municipality said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News24
30 minutes ago
- News24
The high costs of love and separation
Disclaimer: News24 encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views. The views of columnists published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
'Not a joke': Huber Heights mayor condemns illegal mortar detonation during fireworks event
Jul. 2—Huber Heights Mayor Jeff Gore denounced the actions of the suspects, currently unnamed, accused of detonating an explosive device in a metal trashcan during the Star Spangled Heights fireworks show at Thomas A. Cloud Memorial Park Saturday. Police are continuing to investigate after the June 28 explosion injured two juveniles. The subsequent crowd reaction caused a hectic scene, as attendees to the annual Fourth of July celebration fled the area, city officials say. Officials have declined to speculate on potential motives behind the incident as interviews of both suspects and witnesses are ongoing. However, during a Wednesday afternoon press conference, Gore stressed that officials are taking the incident seriously. "We're not considering this a prank at all ... setting off an explosive device in a public area is not a prank, it's not a joke, and we take it extremely seriously," he said. Additional details about suspects and charges will be forthcoming as the investigation unfolds, Huber Heights Police Chief Mark Lightner said. City officials will meet to determine what, if any, additional safety measures can be put in place in the future, City Manager John Russell said Wednesday. But Russell assured that the Star Spangled Heights event is still on for 2026. "I think the biggest takeaway from this is we don't want incidents like this to deter us from having other events," Russell said. "I said to our staff yesterday that I want to know what our best options are moving forward to make sure the citizens are safe and we can still have this celebration." City officials also gave a brief update Wednesday about the report of shots fired at Waffle House early Sunday, just hours after the explosion incident. The unrelated incident took place around 3 a.m., when an officer was patrolling the area near Waffle House, located at 5600 Executive Blvd., as calls about a potential shooting were simultaneously coming into dispatch. The patrolling officer, initially unaware of the reported shooting, pulled into the restaurant's parking lot and observed "numerous" individuals fleeing the scene on foot, along with a white Hyundai SUV leaving the lot, according to reports. The patrolman ran the SUV's license plate, discovering the vehicle had been entered as stolen. A pursuit ensued but was eventually terminated. "Since then, our detectives have identified both the shooter and the person targeted; they are currently working to locate these individuals and determine if others were involved," Gore said. The shooting took place in the restaurant parking lot and there were no reported injuries, Lightner said.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Familiar face appointed to State College's school board. Here's what comes next
The State College Area School District's board of directors will fill a vacant seat by appointing a new member who's no stranger to local government. Jesse Barlow, a former Penn State professor and State College borough council member, will temporarily fill a vacant seat on the school board following the mid-June resignation of Dan Kolbe, who plans to move to Chicago with his family. The board's remaining eight members voted Tuesday to appoint Barlow to fill the vacancy after hearing presentations from 14 candidates and receiving applications from a few more who did not interview for the role. Barlow, who taught computer science and engineering courses at Penn State for more than 40 years, raised two children who graduated from the State College district's schools. In his presentation, he cited previous interactions with the district in an official capacity as a member and one-term president of State College's borough council, through which he spent eight years helping to advance the long-sought Solar Power Purchase Agreement and advocating for more developed human relations within the borough. While presenting prepared remarks before the board, Barlow said he would strongly support increased investments in the district's infrastructure. He specifically cited support for building a new Park Forest Middle School — a project that has plans already in the works and could have construction start as soon as next January. 'We need to build a new Park Forest Middle School,' Barlow told the board. 'We have needed it for a long time. I am supportive of the necessary upgrades to our other schools as well. We have the best school district for miles, but it won't stay that way if we neglect our buildings.' Barlow said he hopes to develop the State College district's interactions with Pennsylvania officials and lawmakers to help secure more funding for public schools while specifically citing a 2023 state court ruling that found the commonwealth's public education funding system was inequitable to the point that it violated some students' constitutional rights. He also said he supports increased regulations for charter schools and new cyber charter programs. As a board member, Barlow said he would work to help the district continue promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging efforts in its schools and offices and advance efforts to overhaul suicide prevention and response protocols. He cited previous experience advancing human relations goals within the State College borough by backing efforts to create a borough DEIB officer and launch an oversight board for its police department. Barlow also noted his work developing State College's human relations ordinance — which strengthens protections against gender identity and sexual orientation-based discrimination — and expanding it to Ferguson and Patton townships and the Millheim borough in Penns Valley. 'I know I'm preaching to the choir here when I say it's essential that SCASD continue its commitment to equity, inclusion and belonging, especially at a time when the federal government is abandoning it and even thwarting these efforts,' Barlow said. 'I've seen the world before school districts cared about human relations. The exclusion and isolation of marginalized groups from that time is something no one should wish to return to.' Barlow said he greatly benefited from his public education in Kansas and hopes to support greater investments in public education by serving on State College's board. 'The mission of SCASD is to ensure every student has opportunities to grow, thrive and fulfill their potential through caring, responsive education,' he said. 'That's my motivation — to work for a school system where all, whatever their social backgrounds and skills, can thrive.' Barlow was one of five candidates who received a nomination to advance to the board's vote, joining Robb Lauzon, Cybele Pacheco, Benjy Romig and Carmen Vanderhoof. Barlow secured the necessary five-vote majority during the second round of voting. Board members seemed to support Barlow for his past experience serving in municipal roles and advocating for State College residents. He expressed excitement to serve on the nine-member school board, which he said should provide for more perspectives and discussions than the seven-member State College borough council. 'I welcome listening to other people's insights, other people's questions, because almost everybody will think of things that I don't,' Barlow said. After he's sworn in at July 21's meeting, Barlow will fill the school board's vacant seat until Nov. 4's general election. Because Kolbe, who received election to a four-year term in 2023, served less than half of his elected term, Centre County will host a special election to find a candidate who will fill a two-year interim term starting in December. The county's Democratic and Republican parties can both nominate an additional candidate to appear on the ballot for that special election, which should coincide with the general election. Barlow was one of six cross-filed candidates who earned party nominations for full, four-year board positions following May's primary election. He received the second-most votes from registered Democrats (4,838) and the fourth-most votes from registered Republicans (996). Before voting, board member Jackie Huff advocated for Barlow's appointment because he would get his feet wet as a board member before almost certainly earning election to a full term in November. 'In my responsibility to the board, I'm highly concerned with consistency within the board,' Huff said. 'So, I am going to be voting for Dr. Barlow because he already is on the ballot in November and he garnered a large number of votes in the primary. The chance of him winning in November is so large that it makes sense for him to start his term now.'
