This week, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde’s office, which was handed on 1 August a preliminary investigation into the staggering George building collapse, responded that the consolidation of various probes was still being finalised.

In July, George Municipality acting manager Dawie Adonis rejected an application by community newspaper publisher Group Editors for copies of the building plans to be made public. The application was brought in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (Paia).

Adonis, in refusing to release documents relating to 75 Victoria development, referred to Section 36 of Paia claiming the plans contained “trade secrets and financial and commercial, scientific and technical information” which would cause harm to the financial interests of those implicated.

Thirty-four people died in the building collapse and 28 escaped death, but many survivors sustained serious injuries...

Atholl Mitchell, the Paarl-based engineer who signed off on the plans for the project, was placed on precautionary suspension by Ecsa a month after the accident...

The council has since ordered engineering reports on all projects related to Mitchell’s company, Mitchell & Associates, over the past three years.

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