#JoburgFire: ANC-led Gauteng Provincial Government could be held liable
6 September 2018
I join the people of Gauteng and South Africa in mourning the three firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty. Their commitment and service to the people will not be forgotten. Further to this I wish the hospitalised emergency services personnel a speedy recovery.
The ANC-led Gauteng Provincial Government must take responsibility for the death of three firefighters who died trying to extinguish the fire at the Bank of Lisbon building, which houses several Provincial Departments.
Despite the fact that the Gauteng Provincial Government was aware that the Bank of Lisbon building was not compliant with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, nothing was done to ensure safety of the employees working in this building.
I have therefore asked our legal team to explore if there is criminal culpability on the part of the Provincial Government and the politicians who allowed this tragedy to happen. Families have been shattered because of this dark event – there must be accountability.