Cape Town – Eighteen months after the collapse of a five-storey building in George that claimed 34 lives and left 28 others injured, families of the victims are still waiting for compensation from the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL).
According to The South African, the department’s Compensation Fund received 68 claims linked to the incident — 15 from South African citizens and 53 from foreign nationals. The publication reported that progress has been delayed due to verification issues and incomplete documentation.
As stated by Milly Ruiters, the DEL’s chief inspector for occupational health and safety, “We also had Home Affairs confirm that 53 were illegal foreign nationals. There was one who had a work permit, but it had expired.”
She added that proper documentation is crucial before the department can finalise the compensation process, explaining: “When it comes to social security, we need documentation in order for the Department of Employment and Labour to finalise the processing of claims”,reported by EWN.
Mayor of George Muni, Leon van Wyk has finally shed some light on the developers of the collapsed five-storey building. The company is Neo Trend Group, ICE Projects. He tells me that the plans were submitted on the 22 December 2022 and were approved by the muni on 6 July 2023. pic.twitter.com/MdSuaVLaGo
— Veve (@LudidiVelani) May 7, 2024
As reported by IOL, officials confirmed that most of the affected workers were undocumented migrants. The department told Parliament that “the lack of proper work permits and identification” has slowed down the verification and payment process. The report also highlighted that some workers had expired permits, complicating legal processing.
According to SowetanLIVE, the Department of Employment and Labour acknowledged the difficulties faced in compensating affected families but said it remained committed to ensuring justice and support for all victims. A departmental representative was quoted saying, “We are doing everything possible to ensure that all legitimate claims are paid. However, the process must comply with both labour and immigration laws.”
The tragedy occurred on 6 May 2024, when a multi-storey structure under construction collapsed, trapping dozens of workers beneath the rubble. Emergency teams worked for days to recover bodies and rescue survivors.
The Department of Employment and Labour has not provided a specific timeline for completing the compensation process, but officials have maintained that they are “working closely with relevant departments to verify information and finalise outstanding claims.”
Families of the victims say they are growing increasingly frustrated by the delay and are calling for faster action. Many have expressed that the long wait has left them without closure — or the financial support they were promised.
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Compiled by Lisabeal Nqamqhele
