Expert says finding the cause of the George building collapse remains crucial

JOHANNESBURG - Determining the cause of the George building collapse remains a crucial element in holding any person or entity liable.

To date the disaster claimed 12 lives while 41 remain unaccounted for.

The landowner and development company has since distanced itself from any of the 81 contractors who were on site when the building collapsed on Monday.

Labour Attorney Dunstan Farrell said any loss of life or injury as a result of the George building collapse should be dealt with under the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act.

READ: George building collapse death toll rises to 12

He said that establishing whether the contract workers have South African citizenship remains crucial.

 "It appears that a number of those individuals were “foreigners” and may well have been working on the site illegally and not registered in terms of the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act."

Farrell said that the investigation team appointed to probe the George building collapse will need to establish causation.

"Experts will need to assess what happened to ultimately establish causation. In the event that it can be proven that a third party was at fault, such as the primary engineer or architect, the workers, alternatively, their surviving dependents, may have a civil claim for damages."

Forty-one people remain unaccounted for.