Why won’t Gauteng Premier disclose Bank of Lisbon fire report?

6 December 2020

I am deeply suspicious that there is something to hide as Gauteng Premier David Makhura has refused to give details of the investigations into into the Bank of Lisbon fire that started at the head office of the Gauteng Health Department on 5 September 2018.

In a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature on the investigations into this fire he has repeatedly responded as follows:

“The question was responded to by Acting MEC for Health Jacob Mamabolo in the sitting that was held on 15 September 2020.”

This is an evasive reply as I was following up on Mamabolo’s reply to me which indicated that the Premier’s Office had conducted one of four investigations into this fire which led to the deaths of three fire-fighters.

We need to know why we still do not have public findings and accountability for this tragic event.

These are the questions that Makhura refused to answer:

What investigation was conducted into this fire;2. When was the investigation completed and a report submitted;

3. Why has this report not been made public;

4. What are the findings of this report?

5. What action will be taken based on the findings and recommendations of this report;

6. Whether the Premier’s office is aware of the three other investigations into this fire;

7. If so, which of these investigations have been concluded and what are their findings;

8. What accounts for any delays in concluding investigations and making the findings public?

The City of Johannesburg, SAPS and Department of Labour have also conducted investigations but nothing has been reported publicly

I will continue to ask questions and apply pressure for the full facts to come out no matter how damning they may be to those who failed to prevent this terrible fire.

I suspect that there is a cover-up. 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 MEC for Health, 6 December 2020