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GEORGE DISASTER NEWS AND VIDEO - During his visit to the building collapse disaster site in Victoria Street, National Minister of Employment and Labour Thulas Nxesi told the media that the focus should be on the affected construction workers and their families, regardless of the workers’ nationality.
“At this stage it’s not about whether they are foreign nationals or not. It is about human rights.” About the issue of cheap labour and possible employee abuse he said it’s not yet the real issue. “We are dealing with a disaster.”
It was confirmed that some of the workers on site at the time of the implosion were from Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi and that there are communication gaps between the authorities and the workers’ anxious families. The department of international relations needs to be engaged and various translators will now be brought in to communicate with the families of the missing workers, including a Portuguese translator.
Sharna Fernandez, Western Cape Minister of Social Development said it was important for the families to express their emotions in their mother tongue and for them to be understood. She said the family members’ emotions range from grief, shock, anger to dazed denial.
Sharna Fernandez, Western Cape Minister of Social Development. Photo: Alida de Beer Nxesi said that he hasn’t met with the developer as, “We can’t find them.” He said the employer should “wherever they are” and “whoever he is” from a “moral point of view” come forward and talk to the relatives of the workers.However, Nxesi confirmed that the employee records had been “secured”, but that the actual investigation has not started.
Provincial Chief Inspector of Labour, David Esau said that he tried to make contact with the developer upon arrival in George, but that their premises was locked. A subpoena was issued – also without response.
George Herald was told that the door to the premises was subsequently forced open and the records pertaining to the construction employees was found inside. This gave rise to the figure of 75 workers on site at the time of the collapse being updated to 81 this morning, Thursday 9 May.
However, it is not certain that all these workers were on site as some may have not arrived for work on Monday.
VIDEO - Labour minister Nxesi visits building disaster site in Victoria Street, George:
Minister of Local Government Anton Bredell said different clusters will be tasked with the investigation to ensure that it is independent. “The people responsible will be held accountable.”
After the briefing he told George Herald that two workers escaped the disaster on Monday at 14:09, as they had taken a smoke break at the time of the lethal collapse.
The South African Institute of Occupational Safety and health (Saiosh) in a statement issued this afternoon conveyed their condolences to the loved ones of the workers who have passed away and said, "Saiosh is confident that the Department of Employment and Labour will constitute a team of specialised expert inspectors to conduct a formal inquiry as required by section 32 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act with the aim of determining the cause of the collapse, recommend steps to prevent a recurrence and hold those accountable if negligence is established. Saiosh trusts that the finding of the formal inquiry will be made public."
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