Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson have called on Police Minister Firoz Cachalia to facilitate interprovincial support in the investigation of the Redcliffe temple collapse in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal, which claimed five lives and injured six others.
He has requested assistance from the Western Cape police team, drawing on their experience investigating the George building collapse.
“The purpose of this request is not to replace local investigative capacity but to strengthen it by drawing on experience gained in a similar tragedy, particularly in navigating the technical, intermediary, and regulatory complexes that arise in cases of major structural failures,” Macpherson said.
The collapse occurred while concrete was being poured on the temple’s upper levels. Early assessments indicate a sudden structural failure, likely due to formwork or shuttering issues. Authorities are working urgently to identify the supplier and builder responsible in order to prevent similar incidents elsewhere.
“Substandard concrete material and substandard reinforced columns were used. Such a failure can obviously impose significant and abnormal dynamic loads on the floors below, loads that no building is structurally designed to withstand, resulting in a rapid and progressive collapse,” Macpherson said.
Investigators have formally declared the Redcliffe temple a crime scene. Macpherson noted serious construction flaws, including misaligned structures, a lack of approved building plans and permits, and signs that the building was occupied without certification.
“In the absence of these submissions, the relevant authorities were deprived of the opportunity to inspect, monitor, or intervene during this construction. The site has now been formally classified as a crime scene,” he said.
VOC News
Photo: X/@_ArriveAlive
