Today's Labour News

newsThis news aggregator site highlights South African labour news from a wide range of internet and print sources. Each posting has a synopsis of the source article, together with a link or reference to the original. Postings cover the range of labour related matters from industrial relations to generalist human resources.

George building collapse exposes regulatory gaps, while calls for oversight of private sector intensify

Details

News24 reports that it was revealed by Public Works Minister Sihle Zikalala on Monday that Liatel Construction, the main contractor for the collapsed George building development, was not registered with the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB).

The CIDB is a public entity created to promote SA’s construction industry and develop skills. All contractors who tender for projects in the public sector must be registered with the board. However, Zikalala advised that Liatel did not need to register with the board as it operated in the private sector. He said the state was pushing for legislation to require private-sector contractors to undergo similar assessments as those operating in the public sector under the CIDB Register of Contractors. Lufuno Ratsiku, president of the SA Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions, pointed out that, while there should be no difference in the laws governing public and private sector construction, there was currently a gap. Hope turned to despair at the construction site on Monday after rescue workers ended Saturday on a high when a worker was pulled out alive. At 06:00 on Monday, the death count stood at 24, but rose to 33 by Tuesday afternoon. During one of several briefings on Monday, Floyd Herwels of the forensic pathology service in George said the most recent bodies recovered at the site were in a state of decomposition. Herwels said they faced challenges with visual identification and relied on scientific methods such as fingerprinting and DNA matching. He added that the delay in formal identification was attributed to various factors, including the absence of necessary documentation.

  • Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Iavan Pijoos at News24


Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page