Chalotte Maxeke roof collapse caused by ‘negligent’ rubble overload – MEC – News24

Johannesburg The collapse of a roof at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital was caused by "negligent" overloading of rubble, Gauteng Infrastructure MEC Jacob Mamabolo said on Wednesday.

"The intention was for the crushed stone to be removed, regrettably it was stockpiled on the roof. The excessive load caused as a result, the collapse."

On March 2, 2017, five people sustained minor injuries when part of the roof near the hospital's main entrance collapsed.

Workers from a privately-owned company were repairing a leaking section of the roof at the time.

"The contractor was negligent in how it conducted their work. They should have removed the crushed stone from the roof. Instead of removing the stones from the roof, they allowed the stones to piled up...."

He said the contractor should have known that that particular weight could not be carried by the structure, and it was their responsibility to execute the project safely without damaging the property.

"The damage caused and the people injured are treated in a serious light."

Mamabolo said those responsible for the collapse would be held accountable.

He said the incident had led the department into reviewing how it appoints contractors.

Mamabolo said he commissioned the report after the collapse on March 2.

He received a report from specialist attorneys Adams & Adams on April 4. According to the infrastructure department's website, the Gauteng government planned to spend R42bn on socio-economic infrastructure programmes in the next three years.

Shortly after the collapse, two anonymous sources told News24 that another section of the hospital, a dental clinic run by the University of the Witwatersrand, had been cordoned off because part of its ceiling, which collapsed in January, had still not been repaired.

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Chalotte Maxeke roof collapse caused by 'negligent' rubble overload - MEC - News24