We wish a speedy recovery to the firefighters that suffered injuries. Our thoughts are also with the employees who worked there for their traumatic experience, and we urge them to take up the counselling services that the Government has offered them and the affected families of the deceased.

We find it distasteful and shocking that the insensitive DA has opted to use this tragic event to score political points and mislead the public with half-truths, treating this catastrophic event with contempt. The ANC insists that the Gauteng Provincial Government and the City of Joburg must take all necessary steps to ensure that this never happens again.

We call for the immediate implementation of the recommendations contained in the report on the state of government buildings which pointed out some non-compliance issues on some government buildings related to occupational health and safety. The safety of employees must be prioritised as this ultimately has a ripple effect on service delivery.

Issued by Provincial Secretary Jacob Khawe