TSHWANE residents will recall how Metro revealed that 18 major buildings and shopping centres in the country’s capital city were unsafe.

A 37-page report published in March 2002 warned that several buildings — including Menlyn Park Shopping Centre, Tshwane Mail Centre and Brooklyn Mall — had been built and opened to the public without being properly inspected by building inspectors.

The report, by independent consultants, was commissioned by the former Tshwane mayor, Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa.

It was initially intended to look at only the Menlyn Park centre, the Post Office’s Tshwane Mail Centre and Brooklyn Mall. But investigators widened their probe after they suspected that at least 15 other buildings could be involved.

The investigation was ordered when the city’s chief building inspector was suspended in August 2001 for allegedly taking bribes to approve plans for multimillion-rand developments.

The report confirmed that he had “allowed building work to proceed without approved building plans”.

At the time, more than 20000 people passed through the Menlyn Park centre every day, and 2000 worked at the mail centre. — Simpiwe Piliso

Source: Sunday Times