Dean Macpherson

Stories

South Africa's building collapse crisis

As of May 2026: Dispatched investigators to Soweto, pledged comprehensive building regulation reform following Verulam collapse

Three people died when a two-story building in Soweto collapsed before dawn on December 28, crushing a one-year-old child and two adults beneath rubble. Three others were rescued and hospitalized; it was South Africa's third deadly building collapse in seven months, with 42 deaths total.

Updated May 16

Notable Quotes

Vowed to 'turn South Africa into a construction site' to stimulate economic growth (October 2024)

from South Africa's building collapse crisis · Updated May 16

Identified 'fragmentation' as 'one of the biggest problems' where municipalities, building regulators, and Public Works 'each operate under a different set of regulations' with 'no synergy or common objective' (December 2025)

from South Africa's building collapse crisis · Updated May 16

Called for centralizing 'all legislation and regulatory authority governing South Africa's built environment' under Department of Public Works (November 2025)

from South Africa's building collapse crisis · Updated May 16

Said 'our legislative framework is outdated' as 'the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act was last meaningfully amended in 1996' (2025)

from South Africa's building collapse crisis · Updated May 16