Dada Morero Says Doornkop Building Which Collapsed Was Illegal

• Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero commented on the integrity of the house, which collapsed in Doornkop, Soweto, days after Christmas
• Three people were killed as a result of the incident, and others were rushed to the nearest hospital, where they received treatment
• Morero said that the house was not built legally, and South Africans slammed the family

For seven years, Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News’ Deputy Head of Current Affairs, South Africa, covered a range of topics, including accidents, fires, outbreaks, nature, weather, and natural disaster-related incidents, at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

JOHANNESBURG, GAUTENG — Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero said the double-storey house, which collapsed in Doornkop, Soweto, on 28 December 2025, was illegally built.

Morero spoke on 29 December during a visit to the house whose collapse resulted in the deaths of three people. Morero commented on the structure of the house while addressing the media.

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Doornkop house was illegal: Morero

Morero said that experts from development and planning in the City of Johannesburg said that the building was not compliant. He said it was not supposed to be there. Morero also said that the city will announce plans to relocate residents in Doornkop to a better place.

Morero said that the area is battling with a high volume of undocumented foreigners who have settled in the area. He also said that residents of the area were previously moved but returned to occupy the area.

"The area is unsafe, so it's not feasible for human occupation," he said.

What happened in Doornkop?

Six people were inside the building when it collapsed in the early hours of the morning. Two women and a child were among those who were killed when it collapsed. They were trapped inside the building, and three were trapped beneath the rubble. The three who were injured were rushed to the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.

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Shoddy workmanship was also blamed when a structure in Lenasia in Johannesburg collapsed on 8 January 2025. One person was injured when the building collapsed. Fortunately, nobody was killed during the incident.

South Africans are not happy

Netizens commenting on X also blamed poor workmanship for the building's collapse.

Check Out asked:

"Where are the metro or municipality inspectors? When I did an addition, they were regularly on site to check that everything was according to specifications. One could not continue or get funding if it was not approved by them."

Kennycool said:

"Mr Mayor, please let your municipal manager do his work by enforcing by-laws."

Bongani Hadebe asked:

"Where have you seen a concrete slab made out of bricks? The builders must be arrested."

Labani said:

"Cheap bricklayer and no inspection led to this incident. We know that as people, we may not have the money to pay inspectors."

ActionSA condemns the government for building collapse

In a related article, Briefly News reported that ActionSA slammed the Gauteng Provincial Government after a portion of the Montrose Mega Project collapsed in Randfontein, Gauteng. The incident happened on 5 May 2025.

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The party's Human Settlements spokesperson Emma More said the buildings pose a significant threat to the community. She remarked that the government spent R11 billion on the project, which lies in ruins.

Source: Briefly News