Eight construction workers are dead after a concrete slab collapsed at a building site in Ormonde, southern Johannesburg — and City officials now admit the structure appears to have been built without approved plans.
What began as a rescue operation on Monday afternoon has turned into a criminal investigation.
The two-storey industrial structure at Amethyst Business Park caved in shortly after 14:00, trapping workers beneath tonnes of concrete. By Tuesday morning, search-and-rescue teams had recovered eight bodies. One victim remains in the process of formal identification.
Families waited through the night as emergency crews worked under floodlights, pausing only when the unstable structure threatened to collapse further.
“This was illegal” — Mayor speaks at scene
Johannesburg Mayor confirmed that preliminary investigations show no record of approved building plans.
“We cannot seem to find any form of approved plans,” Morero said. “You cannot have people building structures of this magnitude without following proper municipal processes and endangering lives.”
City Manager Floyd Brink revealed that required development frameworks and structural approvals appear not to exist.
Even more troubling: the City has been unable to locate the contractor, engineers or the registered owner of the building. Phones that were active on Monday have since been switched off.
Criminal charges are now expected.
Morero warned that any municipal officials found to be involved will also face consequences.
Rescue teams worked through the bight
Johannesburg Urban Search and Rescue teams remained on site into the early hours of Tuesday. Roads leading to the scene were closed off as heavy machinery carefully removed debris.
Deputy Labour Minister Jomo Sibiya conducted an on-site inspection Tuesday morning.
President extended condolences to the families of the victims, stating that a full inquiry must ensure such a tragedy never happens again.
Not an isolated incident
The Ormonde disaster comes amid mounting pressure on the City of Johannesburg over illegal and hijacked buildings.
NOWinSA previously reported how authorities linked the murder of DJ Warras to hijacked properties in the inner city.
We also exposed the shocking reality inside Joburg inner city abandoned buildings, where vulnerable families — including infants — were left in unsafe and unregulated conditions.
High-profile raids, including a dramatic enforcement operation involving former Sizokuthola presenter Xolani Khumalo, signalled the scale of the crisis.
In case you missed: Watch: Dramatic blitz to reclaim Johannesburg.
Now, the collapse in Ormonde adds a different but equally devastating dimension — construction workers killed not by crime, but by what appears to be regulatory failure.
Serious questions for the City
If no plans were approved, the implications are severe:
- How did construction proceed unchecked?
- Were inspections ever conducted?
- Did anyone inside the municipality turn a blind eye?
MMC for Public Safety Dr Mgcini Tshwaku confirmed that operations were temporarily halted Monday night due to structural instability but resumed Tuesday morning.
Police have taken over the investigation.
