Amid growing concerns over building collapses, unsafe construction and weak regulatory compliance, 248 newly trained building inspectors have entered South Africa's built environment sector to help strengthen oversight and protect communities from preventable tragedies.
The Institute of Building Inspectors introduced the graduates on Thursday, June 11, noting that they will bolster municipal capacity and help improve compliance across Gauteng.
Their deployment comes as the country continues to grapple with a series of building-related disasters that have raised questions about construction standards and enforcement.
Earlier this year, nine construction workers died when a building under construction collapsed in Ormonde, south of Johannesburg. Investigations later revealed the structure had allegedly been erected without approved building plans.
In another tragedy, three members of the same family were killed when a double-storey house collapsed in Doornkop, Soweto.
