Makhura must keep promise to make reports on Bank of Lisbon fire public

5 September 2021

Today is the third anniversary of the devastating fire that started at the head office of the Gauteng Health Department at the Bank of Lisbon Building. It cost the lives of three firefighters, but there has still been no accountability for this tragedy, and little information has been given to the grieving families.

Gauteng Premier David Makhura has promised to give a consolidated report at the end of this month of all the investigations into this fire.

No satisfactory answer has been given for the delay in releasing the finding of the investigations that have been done by the SA Police Service, the City of Johannesburg, the Provincial Government and the Department of Labour.

I suspect that senior ANC politicians could face criminal charges as a result of the fire, as well as officials who were negligent in preventing it.

Immediately after the fire I laid criminal charges of culpable homicide against then Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa and Infrastructure Development MEC Jacob Mamabolo for negligence in not setting up a functioning Occupational Health and Safety Committee for the building, and for ignoring multiple warnings from unions and staff about the fire hazard.

It is important that justice is seen to be done, instead of long investigations that allow politicians to evade accountability and add to the distress of families who seek closure for the loss of their loved ones.

The DA will hold Makhura to his undertaking that the reports will be made public at the end of this month, and will push for full accountability including criminal charges where warranted.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health, 5 September 2021