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Tongaat Mall Building Collapse and Inquiry
- Thread starter w1z4rd
- Start date
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
Mall contractors never got approval
The owners and contractors working on the Tongaat mall which collapsed on Tuesday did not seek approval of their building plans, eThekwini mayor James Nxumalo said on Wednesday.
"No application has ever been made to the city by the current owners or anyone acting on their behalf for the approval of building plans for the construction of the property in question," he said in Durban.
He was briefing reporters on the accident in which a section of the mall construction site collapsed. A woman was killed and 29 people were injured.
Nxumalo said the only applications received for the site were for earthworks and not for buildings. The applications were refused, the most recent one in May this year.
The municipality became aware that there was construction going on at the site and inspectors were sent there before the matter ultimately went to court.
The High Court in Durban granted a court order on November 14 directing the property owners, Rectangular Property Investments, to suspend all building operations.
eThekwini municipal manager Sibusiso Sithole denied that the municipality had dragged its feet in attempts to halt construction at the site.
Asked why police were not called to shut down the site, Nxumalo said the site could not be policed 24 hours a day.
The company did not receive any form of preferential treatment.
Sithole praised the work of emergency personnel in dealing with the aftermath of the collapse.
The city would continue with legal processes to obtain a contempt of court order to shut down the site. It would pursue those responsible and charge them where they had contravened the law.
Nxumalo said the search and rescue efforts had been temporarily suspended as the labour department took control of operations at the site.
The municipality appointed a registered engineer to determine why the structure had collapsed.
The labour department's KwaZulu-Natal assistant director for occupational safety Sandile Khubeka said the department arrived at the scene on Tuesday.
They, together with the city engineers, were examining the structure and talking to witnesses in the ongoing investigation.
Khubeka said he could not provide more information until the investigation had been completed.
Source : Sapa /js/mjs/hdw/ks/jk
Date : 20 Nov 2013 14:35
The owners and contractors working on the Tongaat mall which collapsed on Tuesday did not seek approval of their building plans, eThekwini mayor James Nxumalo said on Wednesday.
"No application has ever been made to the city by the current owners or anyone acting on their behalf for the approval of building plans for the construction of the property in question," he said in Durban.
He was briefing reporters on the accident in which a section of the mall construction site collapsed. A woman was killed and 29 people were injured.
Nxumalo said the only applications received for the site were for earthworks and not for buildings. The applications were refused, the most recent one in May this year.
The municipality became aware that there was construction going on at the site and inspectors were sent there before the matter ultimately went to court.
The High Court in Durban granted a court order on November 14 directing the property owners, Rectangular Property Investments, to suspend all building operations.
eThekwini municipal manager Sibusiso Sithole denied that the municipality had dragged its feet in attempts to halt construction at the site.
Asked why police were not called to shut down the site, Nxumalo said the site could not be policed 24 hours a day.
The company did not receive any form of preferential treatment.
Sithole praised the work of emergency personnel in dealing with the aftermath of the collapse.
The city would continue with legal processes to obtain a contempt of court order to shut down the site. It would pursue those responsible and charge them where they had contravened the law.
Nxumalo said the search and rescue efforts had been temporarily suspended as the labour department took control of operations at the site.
The municipality appointed a registered engineer to determine why the structure had collapsed.
The labour department's KwaZulu-Natal assistant director for occupational safety Sandile Khubeka said the department arrived at the scene on Tuesday.
They, together with the city engineers, were examining the structure and talking to witnesses in the ongoing investigation.
Khubeka said he could not provide more information until the investigation had been completed.
Source : Sapa /js/mjs/hdw/ks/jk
Date : 20 Nov 2013 14:35
VIVA ANC VIVA!!!!!!
At the same time, it is alleged the company responsible for the construction has had a history of shoddy workmanship.
But despite this, the African National Congress (ANC)-led eThekwini Municipality has reportedly continued to give the company multimillion rand housing tenders.
In 2009, Gralio Construction owner Jay Singh was convicted of bribing an eThekwini municipal official to overlook sub-standard building.
Last year, it was reported that Gralio was identified in a damning report for irregularly being awarded two low-cost housing projects worth tens of millions of rands.
More than 20 units of the project, the costs of which soared from R70 million to R350 million, had to be demolished when residents complained of walls giving way when pushed.
Despite this track record, just two weeks ago the ANC in the eThekwini council used its majority vote to extend Gralio’s contract at the city’s flagship housing project.
At the same time, it is alleged the company responsible for the construction has had a history of shoddy workmanship.
But despite this, the African National Congress (ANC)-led eThekwini Municipality has reportedly continued to give the company multimillion rand housing tenders.
In 2009, Gralio Construction owner Jay Singh was convicted of bribing an eThekwini municipal official to overlook sub-standard building.
Last year, it was reported that Gralio was identified in a damning report for irregularly being awarded two low-cost housing projects worth tens of millions of rands.
More than 20 units of the project, the costs of which soared from R70 million to R350 million, had to be demolished when residents complained of walls giving way when pushed.
Despite this track record, just two weeks ago the ANC in the eThekwini council used its majority vote to extend Gralio’s contract at the city’s flagship housing project.
Grant
Honorary Master
What always amazes me is how they hell they thought they would get away with it.
Did they honestly not think the more grandiose their illicit deeds the more likely their luck would run out, tragedy would strike and they'd be in big ****..
Did they honestly not think the more grandiose their illicit deeds the more likely their luck would run out, tragedy would strike and they'd be in big ****..
Mila
Honorary Master
How responsible will the engineers be?
Do they supervise every part of such a building or do they just come in at certain points to check ?
This is not an engineering mistake.
The parkview centre in PTA had shoddy work as well. About two years ago the underground parking was reinforced again after it came out that it was not reinforced scour ding to the right standards.
Scary, you don't think about this when you go to a centre.
Rip.
Do they supervise every part of such a building or do they just come in at certain points to check ?
This is not an engineering mistake.
The parkview centre in PTA had shoddy work as well. About two years ago the underground parking was reinforced again after it came out that it was not reinforced scour ding to the right standards.
Scary, you don't think about this when you go to a centre.
Rip.
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
Man cheats death in mall collapse...
http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/man-cheats-death-in-mall-collapse-1.1610144
http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/man-cheats-death-in-mall-collapse-1.1610144
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
Tongaat: One person still missing
http://ewn.co.za/2013/11/21/Tongaat-One-person-still-missing
http://ewn.co.za/2013/11/21/Tongaat-One-person-still-missing
daveza
Honorary Master
http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2013/11/21/collapsed-mall-built-illegally
If the Nov 14 order was acted on.....
If the Nov 14 order was acted on.....
dlk001
Executive Member
The engineer is responsible for the design and monitoring of the construction, which includes inspections to verify the contractor’s workmanship and materials comply with the contract specification.
Engineering Council of South Africa will definitely charge the engineer with professional negligence if there is prima facie evidence the engineer had contravened Rules of Conduct.
the municipality did not give the go ahead for construction way back in 2006 already. it was declined. i heard this on the radio this morning. yet the owner of the mall continued to ignore the municipality time and time again when they told him to cease all operations on this building. he is to blame entirely for this and is guilty for ignoring the municipality's instructions.
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
Cabinet: Probe Tongaat mall collapse
Cabinet wants a rigorous investigation into the Tongaat mall collapse, Public Service Minister Lindiwe Sisulu said on Thursday.
Briefing media following the executive's regular fortnightly meeting, Sisulu said Cabinet expressed condolences to the family and friends of the woman killed and people injured at the Tongaat mall construction site on Tuesday.
"Cabinet emphasised that there are labour laws which protect the rights of workers and condemned those responsible for the disaster," she said.
"Cabinet insisted that the matter be followed up rigorously."
A large section of the mall, which was under construction, collapsed on Tuesday, killing a woman and injuring 29 people.
Search and rescue operations were called off temporarily on Wednesday as the labour department took over control of the site.
It emerged on Wednesday that contractors had gone ahead with construction despite not obtaining building approval from the eThekwini municipality.
The municipality has since appointed a registered engineer to determine why part of the structure collapsed.
Source : Sapa /cp/jk/ks
Date : 21 Nov 2013 13:29
Cabinet wants a rigorous investigation into the Tongaat mall collapse, Public Service Minister Lindiwe Sisulu said on Thursday.
Briefing media following the executive's regular fortnightly meeting, Sisulu said Cabinet expressed condolences to the family and friends of the woman killed and people injured at the Tongaat mall construction site on Tuesday.
"Cabinet emphasised that there are labour laws which protect the rights of workers and condemned those responsible for the disaster," she said.
"Cabinet insisted that the matter be followed up rigorously."
A large section of the mall, which was under construction, collapsed on Tuesday, killing a woman and injuring 29 people.
Search and rescue operations were called off temporarily on Wednesday as the labour department took over control of the site.
It emerged on Wednesday that contractors had gone ahead with construction despite not obtaining building approval from the eThekwini municipality.
The municipality has since appointed a registered engineer to determine why part of the structure collapsed.
Source : Sapa /cp/jk/ks
Date : 21 Nov 2013 13:29
So a probe, bribe, then a new tender for Jay Singh.
He'll be taken to court again. He'll be convicted. And he'll be given a suspended sentence imo.
That way everyone is happy, apart from the victims. But I highly doubt the government actually gives a rat's arse about them...
That way everyone is happy, apart from the victims. But I highly doubt the government actually gives a rat's arse about them...
The_Unbeliever
Honorary Master
If it does not affect the guavamint's nasty pocketses, then they just won't care.
But watch how quickly they'll get things done if it will affect their nasty pocketses.
dlk001
Executive Member
I doubt anything will come out of this. It will be another "accident" and life goes on.
Maybe this is the same company who built Nkandla homestead
Maybe this is the same company who built Nkandla homestead
Last edited:
grok
Honorary Master
Apparently Singh's wife & Zuma's wife were business partners, another presidentially protected Indian, nothing will come of this investigation.
Very sensible of the Cabinet.
That will enable them to remove any references to the culpability of any ANC comrades and lay the blame squarely on apartheid.
Tongaat mall may be demolished
Durban - The eThekwini Metro municipality is considering trying to force a developer to demolish the illegal shopping mall that partially collapsed in Tongaat, north of Durban, killing a woman and injuring 29 people.
"Council is now looking at options not only of bringing an action for [a] contempt of court decision, but also the possibility of an order for the owner to demolish the collapsed structure," eThekwini metro municipal manager Sibusiso Sithole said on Thursday.
Mayor James Nxumalo revealed on Wednesday that the property's developer and owner, Rectangle Property Investments, had not obtained planning permission to build the mall.
In fact, it was ordered by the Durban High Court on 14 November to stop construction until planning permission had been obtained.
Despite the court order, Gralio Construction continued to build the mall, and on Tuesday evening, a football field sized portion of it collapsed.
At the time, it was not known how many people were on the poorly-fenced construction site, and 50 people were initially feared trapped.
Officially, only one person remains unaccounted for, according to KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Lieutenant Mandy Govender.
However, the police could not rule out the possibility that others were buried beneath the slab that collapsed.
"We are not ruling out that there were other people on site, but only one contractor has told us that they are missing an employee," Govender said.
A crane was removing rubble on the site on Thursday, as members of the police search and rescue unit watched. Three workers planted poles for a fence around the mall.
Scent picked up
Lieutenant Jack Haskins of the Pietermaritzburg K9 search and rescue unit said on Thursday afternoon that the dogs had picked up one scent.
"But it's coming from under the slab. It could be 20m away. We don't know, but we will have to clear more rubble before we can send in the dogs to find out what it is."
The scent could come from a body or from an item with blood on it that was left behind by one of the rescued workers taken to hospital.
Gralio Construction, some of whose workers were among the injured, could not be reached for comment.
A receptionist said: "I have just been asked to take messages and someone will get back to you." No one did.
KwaZulu-Natal chief labour inspector Abey Raspae confirmed that no other bodies had been found.
He said the department had not been told how many people were not accounted for.
Govender said a culpable homicide docket had been opened. She said this was standard procedure in the event of a death, and it was too early to say who would be charged.
Cheap electioneering
Labour department spokesperson Nhlanhla Khumalo said activities at the site had been stopped for the day and would resume on Friday.
The mall was scheduled to open in March.
On Thursday afternoon, the Democratic Alliance accused the city of handing Gralio a R101m tender for a low cost housing development, despite the Tongaat mall collapse.
Sithole denied this and said the R101m Cornubia housing project the DA was referring to was in fact an old contract awarded in 2011.
He said he rejected the awarding of the tender, but was overruled by the municipality's appeals authority and the courts, and that the process was finalised only in October.
"After exhausting all the options for a non-award, it was considered prudent to proceed with Gralio," said Sithole, who accused the DA of cheap electioneering tactics.
- SAPA
Durban - The eThekwini Metro municipality is considering trying to force a developer to demolish the illegal shopping mall that partially collapsed in Tongaat, north of Durban, killing a woman and injuring 29 people.
"Council is now looking at options not only of bringing an action for [a] contempt of court decision, but also the possibility of an order for the owner to demolish the collapsed structure," eThekwini metro municipal manager Sibusiso Sithole said on Thursday.
Mayor James Nxumalo revealed on Wednesday that the property's developer and owner, Rectangle Property Investments, had not obtained planning permission to build the mall.
In fact, it was ordered by the Durban High Court on 14 November to stop construction until planning permission had been obtained.
Despite the court order, Gralio Construction continued to build the mall, and on Tuesday evening, a football field sized portion of it collapsed.
At the time, it was not known how many people were on the poorly-fenced construction site, and 50 people were initially feared trapped.
Officially, only one person remains unaccounted for, according to KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Lieutenant Mandy Govender.
However, the police could not rule out the possibility that others were buried beneath the slab that collapsed.
"We are not ruling out that there were other people on site, but only one contractor has told us that they are missing an employee," Govender said.
A crane was removing rubble on the site on Thursday, as members of the police search and rescue unit watched. Three workers planted poles for a fence around the mall.
Scent picked up
Lieutenant Jack Haskins of the Pietermaritzburg K9 search and rescue unit said on Thursday afternoon that the dogs had picked up one scent.
"But it's coming from under the slab. It could be 20m away. We don't know, but we will have to clear more rubble before we can send in the dogs to find out what it is."
The scent could come from a body or from an item with blood on it that was left behind by one of the rescued workers taken to hospital.
Gralio Construction, some of whose workers were among the injured, could not be reached for comment.
A receptionist said: "I have just been asked to take messages and someone will get back to you." No one did.
KwaZulu-Natal chief labour inspector Abey Raspae confirmed that no other bodies had been found.
He said the department had not been told how many people were not accounted for.
Govender said a culpable homicide docket had been opened. She said this was standard procedure in the event of a death, and it was too early to say who would be charged.
Cheap electioneering
Labour department spokesperson Nhlanhla Khumalo said activities at the site had been stopped for the day and would resume on Friday.
The mall was scheduled to open in March.
On Thursday afternoon, the Democratic Alliance accused the city of handing Gralio a R101m tender for a low cost housing development, despite the Tongaat mall collapse.
Sithole denied this and said the R101m Cornubia housing project the DA was referring to was in fact an old contract awarded in 2011.
He said he rejected the awarding of the tender, but was overruled by the municipality's appeals authority and the courts, and that the process was finalised only in October.
"After exhausting all the options for a non-award, it was considered prudent to proceed with Gralio," said Sithole, who accused the DA of cheap electioneering tactics.
- SAPA
koeksGHT
Dealer
Could they not have held an ANC meeting there at that time