No investigation report two years after Bank of Lisbon building fire

16 September 2020

No investigation has yet reported on the Bank of Lisbon fire that started at the head office of the Gauteng Health Department on 5 September 2018.

This was conceded yesterday by Acting Gauteng Health MEC Jacob Mamabolo in an oral reply to my questions at a virtual sitting of the Gauteng Legislature.

According to Mamabolo there were four investigations into the fire by the following:

City of Johannesburg

South African Police Service 

Department of Labour

Premier’s Office

He says that the Gauteng Health Department was cooperating with these investigations but could not itself investigate as it was itself a subject of investigation. 

I am disappointed that Mamabolo refused to comment on the delays in all these investigations. It is outrageous that not a single finding has been made public two years after this tragedy in which three firefighters lost their lives.

I suspect there is a cover-up because the findings severely embarrass the Gauteng Provincial Government.

All the investigations need to be made public as soon as possible so that there is accountability for this terrible event.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, 16 September 2020