Bricks come crashing down at Provincial Library Depot

THE DEPARTMENT of Employment and Labour has given the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture 60 days to comply with a contravention notice at the Mervin Erlank building in Kimberley, after bricks from the newly built Provincial Library Depot came crashing down.

Staff took occupation of the building last year.

Public Servants Association (PSA) provincial manager Steve Ledibane said that more than 200 officials employed at the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) were being subjected to unsafe and unhealthy working conditions at the provincial office.

“PSA shop stewards raised concerns regarding several critical issues, including leaking roofs throughout the building as there is no insulation between the roof and the ceiling; ventilation problems, including excruciating heat since the air conditioning is dysfunctional; and the uncontrolled collapse of the brand-new building,” he said.

He added that rubble and the bricks that had collapsed at the library depot had yet to be removed.

“One block of the building does not have proper ablution facilities. Pipes keep bursting regularly and spilling into offices. This office was an old hostel building.”

Ledibane said their concerns about occupational health and safety hazards had not been taken seriously by the department.

“This is a total neglect of the health and safety of employees and clients. The PSA will continue to closely monitor compliance with the contravention notice as well as all government buildings in the Province. The provision of a safe working environment is not a favour but a legal right of employees that cannot be ignored by employers.”

‘No threat to staff’

The spokesperson for the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, Conrad Fortune, said construction of both the Provincial Library Depot and the new office block housing Cultural Affairs and Heritage Services was completed in October 2024.

“It is important to clarify that the building did not collapse, as has been suggested in some reports. Only a section of the exterior cladding became loose and detached from the structure.

“ Following this incident, the department immediately commissioned an independent structural engineer to assess the integrity of the building. The professional assessment confirmed that the structure remains sound and stable and that the incident poses no threat to the safety of staff or the public.”

He added that the affected area had been cordoned off as a precautionary measure.

“No staff member or member of the public is permitted to enter that specific zone until all remedial work is completed and signed off by the relevant professionals. All other areas of the building remain fully operational and safe for use.”

Fortune explained that no repair costs would be incurred, as the building was still within its latent defects liability period, during which the appointed contractor is responsible for all remedial work at their own cost.

“Professional engineers will certify each stage of the work to ensure safety and compliance before the area is reopened. Work will commence in due course. The completion date, scope of work and project plan will be communicated once it has been  finalised and approved.”

He added that an occupational certificate had been issued when the building was handed over.

“Up until the moment the cladding became detached, the facility did not present any occupational hazards. The safety of our staff and the public remains our highest priority, and all necessary steps are being taken to ensure full compliance with the notice issued by the Department of Employment and Labour.”

Contravention notice issued

The spokesperson for the Department of Employment and Labour, Petunia Lessing, said no immediate danger was observed during the inspection.

“The department appointed an external structural engineer to assess the building. The unsafe area was barricaded at the time of the inspection.”

She said the department was granted 60 days to comply with the identified contraventions from the date of inspection, on December 6.