Simelane vows to act on recommendations from the George building collapse inquiry.

Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane has promised to execute to the latter the findings of the National Home Builders Registration Council’s (NHBRC) final report on the 2024 George building collapse in the Western Cape.:

A preliminary report has already pointed to several procedural failures, which are illegal, according to the Housing Consumers Protection Measures Act, 1998 (Act No. 95 of 1998), and the Consumer Protection Act 25 of 2004, respectively. The NHBRC is responsible for protecting housing consumers and regulating the home-building industry in South Africa by registering builders, enforcing standards, and performing inspections in line with national standards.

“If the final report establishes procedural violations or weak NHBRC standards, we will refer its findings to the law enforcement for investigation and possible criminal prosecution,” Simelane declared. She stressed that if any wrong doing was to be done, including by NHBRC officials, it would be foiled.

In light of the public’s anxiety regarding the collapse, Simelane assured that once the report is available, it will be made available to the public and requested that people wait for the process to be completed. “The Ministry will not engage in any further media discussions until the final report is available,” she said, as reported by SAnews.gov.za.