The sudden collapse of an old building in a busy section of Thohoyandou's CBD on Monday morning (14 August) has raised significant concerns regarding the safety of structures and adherence to building regulations, particularly in relation to the older buildings in the business area.
The Rammbuda Complex, also known as the Star Glass building, which is more than 40 years old and one of the town's first buildings, collapsed without any forewarning at around 09:30, affecting nearby activities in the area and adjacent businesses for almost the whole day. Business owners and hawkers plying their trade around or close by the fallen building were the worst affected as they could not operate while mop-up operations were underway.
Within a short space of time after the incident, the scene was swarming with curious onlookers and concerned community members who wanted to know if any people were trapped under the rubble. The Vhembe Disaster Management Services, health services, police, and other stakeholders took control of the scene. An elderly woman, who was injured by falling bricks, was taken to a local hospital where she was treated.
One of the eyewitnesses, Ms Mkateko Mabasa, who sells food right next to the collapsed building, said she was busy cooking food to sell to her customers when she heard a loud sound, like a speeding car crashing into a wall. "I left my pots and tent unattended and rushed to where the noise had come from. Before I could figure out what was happening, I noticed a collapsing wall falling in my direction. I ran for my life. There was a great commotion, with hysterical people running in all directions. I have never witnessed something of this nature. I am still shaking. This will linger in my mind for years to come. I will never forget the sight of the injured granny we helped out of the rubble," she said.
Mabasa said that, despite the incident, she was forced to continue operating at her usual spot, for the sake of her children. "We are not safe here, but what can we do? We must work for our families. I lost all my stock today but will have to come back here," she said.
The question on everyone's lips following this incident is whether shoppers and tenants in town are safe. Are the other buildings safe, or ticking time bombs waiting to explode?
Mr Mashudu Musie, who is renting an office in the old Limpopo Development Corporation building, says working in the area has become dangerous. "It has become risky working in this town. Some of the buildings are now very old and in a state of decay. Some even shake when you enter them and there is no safety guarantee here. We are also concerned that we do not see any maintenance or inspections of buildings, even though structural defects can be seen even by a layman," he said.
According to Musie, the Rammbuda Complex building is not the only building that should have been closed a long time ago. "The municipality should from now on strictly inspect these buildings for the safety of the people," he said.
The manager of Thulamela Municipality, Mr Masala Makumule, who is a qualified town planner, said the municipality is in the process of instituting a formal investigation to determine the cause of the collapse.
Makumule added that they have four inspectors who had identified buildings that needed to be upgraded. "We are saddened by this incident. What we have learnt is that there were some additions done to the building by those who inherited the building from the original owners. We are just grateful that there was no loss of life. We sympathise with the granny who was injured in the incident."
Makumule said they had also identified buildings that were no longer in line with their Vision 2030, to see Thohoyandou become a city by 2030. "We are in constant engagements with building owners. Not only them, but also owners of sites that have been lying undeveloped for years. We are in the process of developing bylaws that will enable us to demolish unsafe buildings and also take over the sites without having to go the long legal route," he said.
Mr Arif Patel, who spoke on behalf of the owners of the building, said that they are totally in the dark as to what may have caused the sudden collapse. He said he was inside Star Glass Hardware when he heard a loud bang. Patel said that they will be awaiting findings from the inspectors which will hopefully shed more light.