Gauteng Department of Human Settlements Blames Collapsed Montrose Building on Crime

• The Gauteng Department of Human Settlements said the collapse of part of a building on the Montrose Mega Project is the fault of criminal activities
• This was after a resident of Randfontein died recently when part of a building fell on him while he and his brother were looking for firewood
• The department's spokesperson said the deceased lost his life while committing criminal activities and tampering with the building

With nine years of experience, Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist, provided insights into infrastructure challenges and state-owned enterprises in South Africa at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

JOHANNESBURG — The Gauteng Department of Human Settlement attributed the collapse of a building on the Montrose Mega Project, which resulted in the death of a Randfontein, Mogale City resident on 5 May 2025.

Department of Human Settlements on collapsed Montrose building

According to SundayWorld, the department confirmed that it was aware that part of a staircase structure had fallen off a building in Montrose. Terry-Ann Van Eck, the spokesperson for the MEC of Human Settlements, Tasneem Motara, said a part of the stairway, not the entire building, collapsed. She also confirmed that the South African Police Service is investigating the incident.

Crime caused the collapse: Department

Van Eck also said that the victim of the collapse died because they were tampering with the building and conducting illegal activities. She added that the site has no security, and no contractor is active.

ActionSA calls for action

Speaking to Briefly News, ActionSA's spokesperson for Human Settlements, Emma More, said that the neglect of the buildings demoralised those awaiting to be allocated housing units in Montrose.

The R11 billion project began in 2017 and was supposed to build 13,000 housing units. The provincial government was supposed to finish building the units in November 2021, but the project remains incomplete.

"Given the existing backlog, the lack of attention from the Provincial government raises concerns about its commitment to addressing the needs of its citizens," she said.

More previously spoke to Briefly News and revealed that the political party conducted an oversight visit to the site in 2024. The visit exposed a lack of bulk infrastructure, temporary water and sewage systems, and rampant vandalism and criminal activity.

Another abandoned project in Mogale City was a stadium, which cost the state R1.3 billion to build. A member of parliament shared a video showing the stadium's neglect. A councillor said the stadium has been vandalised and is a crime hotspot.

R1.3 billion needed to revamp Johannesburg Civic Centre

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the Johannesburg Civic Centre requires R1 billion to be refurbished. The building has been abandoned since September 2023 after a fire broke out.

The building, which housed the Johannesburg Mayor and his mayoral committee, was abandoned after the fire broke out. Staff members were either relocated or started working from home. South Africans slammed the government.

"ANC's attempts to hold on to power by any means necessary will eventually be its demise," a netizen said.

Source: Briefly News