A revised Council for the Built Environment (CBE) Bill is set to be introduced in Parliament, aimed at giving the Council stronger investigative powers, consolidating regulatory functions, and establishing it as a single, more effective regulator for South Africa’s built environment.
This is one of several legislative reforms announced by the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, during a media briefing over the weekend, where he released the findings of investigative reports into the George building collapse.
The fatal incident, which occurred on Monday, 6 May 2024, claimed 34 lives and injured 28 others. The reports confirmed that the tragedy was preventable, citing a convergence of systemic failures across the construction and regulatory landscape.
“Our legislative framework is outdated. The National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act was last meaningfully amended in 1996. The built environment has changed. Our laws have not,” the Minister said.
Strengthening oversight and reporting
The Council for the Built Environment, established in terms of the CBE Act (No. 43 of 2000), serves as a regulatory body within the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure. It was created to promote good conduct within built environment professions, protect the public interest, and advise government on sector-specific issues.
As part of the reforms, the CBE will introduce a reporting protocol requiring the registration of any structural system failure. A hotline will be launched to allow workers, professionals, and the public to anonymously report safety concerns. These reports will trigger automatic inspections and, if necessary, emergency-site shutdowns.
To raise professional standards, the department will roll out a national credentialing scheme to distinguish specialised built environment professionals from generalists who are already registered.
“In the immediate term, the focus will be on structural engineers working on high-risk buildings. It will no longer be enough to simply be professionally registered — engineers will need to prove their competence for complex projects, just like pilots or surgeons,” Macpherson said.
Overhauling outdated laws
The Minister stressed the urgent need for a legislative review of the National Building Regulations, including alignment with new technologies, climate-resilience standards, and modern construction practices such as Building Information Modelling (BIM).
“We cannot regulate 2025 buildings with 1996 legislation. The NHBRC, municipalities, the Department of Labour, and other entities will be required by law to share inspection data and site conditions with one another. No single authority should be able to proceed blindly. Integration is essential,” he added.
To give effect to these reforms, the department has outlined a phased implementation plan.
The reforms will be rolled out in three phases:
Phase One (2025–2026): Immediate interventions, including new regulations, mandatory safety standards, and emergency-response protocols.
Phase Two (2026–2028): Long-term structural reforms, including legislative amendments and competency-based registration systems.
Phase Three (2028 onwards): Institutional restructuring, including the transfer of custodianship of building regulations to the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure.
In addition, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure will work with the Department of Labour and Employment to propose amendments to the Construction Regulations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
These changes will enhance accountability across all duty holders in the construction process — including clients, designers, and contractors.
