The Star reports that a year ago on Thursday, a fire broke out at the Bank of Lisbon building in the Joburg CBD, killing three firefighters who were struggling to douse the flames.  

Now, government employees who were relocated say they work in fear that the new building they occupy is also unsafe.  The fire at Lisbon, which housed the departments of human settlements, health and co-operative governance and traditional affairs, happened as a result of the building not meeting occupational health and safety standards.  Human settlement workers who now report at 11 Diagonal Street complain about the shaky building and claim that management is ignoring their pleas.  The Star has seen video footage of the building vibrating while employees go about their work.  One of the employees said she was one of the first groups to be moved into the building last May before the deadly fire and she immediately got sick.  A 36-page building condition assessment into the safety of the building conducted by the Department of Infrastructure Development in February found that 11 Diagonal Street has serious structural defects.  Some of the issues highlighted in the report include exposed wiring, rotting walls, damaged and suspended ceiling boards and no ablution facilities for disabled employees.  Gauteng Human Settlements, Urban Planning and Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Lebogang Maile on Wednesday said that when he took over office he was assured the building was safe.

• Read the full original of the above report in The Star by Tebogo Monama and Lehlohonolo Mashigo at Security.co.za

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