Verulam deaths prompt call for strict compliance with building rules

The South African Hindu Maha Sabha has issued a stern warning to religious and cultural organisations to comply fully with building regulations and safety laws when constructing places of worship, following the fatal collapse of a temple construction site in Verulam last month that claimed five lives. The warning comes from the Maha Sabha, the body which represents the cultural and religious practices of South Africa’s Hindu community. The four-storey New Ahobilam Temple building that collapsed in Redcliffe, Verulam, in December, gripped the nation with search and rescue teams taking days to recover bodies from the mountain of rubble at the scene.

In the aftermath of the building collapse, Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson said that preliminary reports indicated that no approved building plans had been submitted, no construction permits had been issued, and that the building had been constructed using inferior materials. He added that the building may have been occupied before the issuance of an occupation certificate. The Maha Sabha’s vice president, Professor Brij Maharaj, said, “Temples, halls, and related venues are public facilities where the safety and well-being of devotees, guests, visitors, and all other persons who enter the premises must always be a top priority.” Maharaj said all construction work, whether new developments or additions to existing facilities, must receive approval from the relevant local authority before any building or renovation begins, warning that failure to do so constitutes a criminal offence.

He added that qualified professionals, including architects, engineers and contractors, must be consulted, and that all municipal bylaws must be complied with throughout every stage of construction. Maharaj stressed that owners and managers must be compliant with all rules and regulations, and that the onus is on them to be aware of all they need to comply with when erecting or renovating a building. The Maha Sabha advised all religious and cultural organisations to ensure that contractors and their employees are registered with the Department of Employment and Labour and comply fully with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, including maintaining safety files, conducting risk assessments and ensuring the correct use of personal protective equipment.