Macpherson flags permit lapses, safety failures in deadly eThekwini building collapse

By Johnathan Paoli

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson has revealed that the four-storey building that collapsed in Redcliffe, north of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, was constructed without approved building plans or permits and showed clear signs of serious safety irregularities, raising the prospect of criminal liability as multiple investigations gather pace.

Addressing the media in Mayfair, Durban, on Wednesday, Macpherson said preliminary findings by the Council for the Built Environment (CBE) point to widespread non-compliance with national building regulations, substandard construction practices and potentially unlawful occupation of the structure before certification.

“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 this would constitute serious contraventions of the National Building Regulations and Standards,” Macpherson said.

Macpherson said the absence