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Final Soweto disaster update

Issued by National Home Builders Registration Council
Johannesburg, Jan 9, 2018

Following its previous communications dated the 2nd January 2018, the NHBRC wishes to provide a status update on assessment conducted since the advent of the disaster caused by severe storm damage in Soweto and surrounds. In an unconfirmed preliminary report to the NHBRC, the South African Weather Services referred to the storm as Tornadic Supercell Thunderstorm with an EF2 damage rating.

In the main, the damage to homes included failing roofs, collapsed boundary walls and altered homes as well as wall cracks. The affected structures are said to be between one and 20 years old. Late this past Friday 5th January 2018, the Executive Mayor of Johannesburg, Cllr. Herman Mashaba declared this a Local State of Disaster after consultation with the relevant stakeholders.

The NHBRC inspectors and engineers have been conducting visual assessment of the houses that were damaged by the storm for the past six days. The team worked through this past weekend in order to ascertain the extent of the damage as well as preliminary causes of said damage.

The affected areas include;

* Protea Glen; * Lawley; * Braamfischerville; * Slovo Park; * Snake Park; * Doornkop; * Lufhereng; * Tsepisong; * Meadowlands; * Westbury; * Alexandra; * Rugby Club Informal Settlement; and * Fleurhof.

The NHBRC has further committed to working with the City of Johannesburg's Joint Operations Centre, established to locate centralised management of the disaster efforts by all stakeholders. Further support will be provided to the investigators from the City's Group Risk Advisory Services, established by the Executive Mayor, to conduct a full risk assessment of the damage caused by the storm.

As at 12h00 today, the NHRBC assessed approximately 4 500 houses in the following townships, Protea Glen, Lufhereng, and Lawley.

The total of 33 houses at Protea Glen damaged by storm will undergo further detailed investigation, in the form of materials testing as well as design and workmanship review. This phase will be conducted by independent professionals.

Housing consumers are still encouraged to report damage by submitting a complaints form with the NHRBC. The forms can be downloaded from www.nhbrc.org.za or by calling toll-free 0800 200 824 and 011 317 5507. You can also e-mail [email protected].

NHBRC

The National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) is an agency of the department of human settlements which is responsible for the protection of housing consumers and to regulate the home building industry. The NHBRC also offers services such as enrolment of new homes, home builder registration, home building inspections, builder training, geotechnical and materials engineering. This year the NHBRC has trained 827 youth, 187 artisans, 81 military veterans and 1 857 emerging home builders. Of this total women make up 64% (i.e. 530) of the youth, 44% (i.e. 36) of military veterans and 44% (i.e. 821) of the emerging home builders.

For more information: www.nhbrc.org.za. Twitter: @NHBRC Facebook: NHBRCSA 0800 200 824.