Engineering News reports that the disciplinary sanctions imposed on engineer Atholl Mitchell by the Engineering Council of SA (ECSA) following the deadly George building collapse are currently suspended pending the outcome of a formal appeal.
ECSA had announced in July that its disciplinary tribunal had found Mitchell guilty of five counts of improper conduct linked to the 6 May 2024 structural collapse of an unfinished building in George, which resulted in the death of 34 construction workers and injury to many more. The tribunal imposed the maximum fine allowed under law and permanently cancelled Mitchell’s professional registration. The guilty finding was based on an investigation into the incident and Mitchell’s conduct. The tribunal ruled in his absence after he formally declined to participate in the May 2025 hearing, entering a plea of not guilty through his legal representative.
Mitchell’s lawyers have since confirmed that an appeal had been lodged in terms of the Engineering Profession Act, in trms of which sanctions imposed by the tribunal cannot be implemented until the council, or the Council for the Built Environment, has decided the appeal. This means the fine and deregistration are on hold. The appeal outcome will determine whether the sanctions against Mitchell are upheld, amended or overturned.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News
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