oTongathi Mall Collapse, 1 year later

It’s been almost one year since the fateful day where a floor of the oThongathi Mall collapsed trapping and killing workers. Shortly after this incident, a 4 person inquiry was established to determine the reason for the collapse and the resultant loss of life. Not long after the inquiry started their work, it was discovered that Ethekwini Metro Council had on more than one occasion given Durban businessman Jay Singh notice to cease building. Aside from this, it also emerged that the perimeter of the building was dangerously close to nearby railway tracks. MetroRail at the time made it public that they informed the building inspectors of Ethekwini of this and requested them to enforce the stop work order. As is obvious at this point in time, work did not cease at the site with catastrophic consequences.

At the time of the initial report, everyone was up in arms baying for blood and calling for the criminal prosecution of Singh and as it later became apparent, Singh jnr (Ravi Jagadsan) who is the sole member of Rectangle Property Investments CC and the developer of the mall. Here we are, almost 1 year later and we are no closer to having answers to the questions asked at the time of the tragedy, we know from media reports that the concrete solution wasn’t strong enough, we know Singh and Jagadasan ignored Stop Work Orders and we know their refusal to comply resulted in the death of workers. Why then are they allowed to still roam the streets of South Africa? Why is this inquiry still going? Undoubtedly thousands of Rands are being spent on this inquiry while the families of the deceased workers and the public in general still has no answers.

Most of the focus on this seems to have died down with South Africans shifting their focus to more recent matters of which South Africa seems to have no shortage at all, while the families and friends of those affected by this tragedy wait for answers. Answers as to why two Stop Work Orders was ignored, why building was allowed to progress to the stage this one has when no building plans were submitted to the relevant authorities, why Singh and his son keeps living the high life with tenders worth hundreds of millions of rands still being awarded to these businesses? The same businesses of whom the owners clearly have little regards for the health and safety o their employees.

On the 21st of November, SARSU will mourn the deaths of two workers who lost their lives at the expense of profit and the disregard of laws. We will mourn the lack of enforcement which still plagues the South African construction industry all for the sake of a few rand in the pocket to look the other way. We will mourn for the hundreds of workers who are injured daily in the performance of their duties while company owners and executives sit in their plush offices content with killing workers while they count the millions in their bank accounts. The millions of Rand made off the blood of workers they have consciously  failed to protect and failed to provide with a safe and healthy work place as is required through the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. We will hold to task the Minister of Labour and his department for the failure to enforce laws and for their failure to bring those who flout laws for their own gain to book. We call for charges of culpable homicide to be instated against Singh and Jagadasan, their refusal to follow procedures and laws directly caused the death of two people.

http://www.sarsu.org.za/tongaat-mall-collapse-almost-one-year-later/#sthash.CfZDwtWb.dpbs

Issued by:Ntuthuko DumakudeGeneral SecretarySafety & Related Services UnionTel: 063 117 2802Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.Website: www.sarsu.org.za