Labour Department opens criminal probe after Verulam temple collapse

The Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) has opened an occupational health and safety probe that could lead to criminal prosecution after the collapse of a building near the New Ahobilam Temple of Protection in Redcliffe, Verulam, on 12 December 2025. The four-storey structure at River Range Ranch gave way, killing five people and injuring others.

Who died and immediate response

The people who died in the collapse were named in reporting as: Vick Panday, 52; Vasudeva Datta Das, 65; Kishore Hurribhujan, 63; Jayaseelan ‘Jayce’ Perumal, 58; and construction worker Adbul Prabhus. Emergency and search teams recovered the bodies over several days after the structure failed.

Labour Department investigation and potential prosecution

DEL spokesperson Teboho Thejane said the department was “shocked and deeply concerned about the temple collapse.” He described the event as tragic and said it “highlighted serious breaches in compliance within the construction environment.” Thejane said DEL would work with the South African Police Service, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) and eThekwini Municipality, and that the site is a declared crime scene.

“All inspections and evidence collection are coordinated to ensure that the occupational health and safety investigation does not interfere with criminal proceedings,”

Thejane explained the probe is being conducted primarily under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), 1993, with the Construction Regulations and the General Safety Regulations as key instruments. He said the investigation will assess whether “the employer, contractor, and other duty holders have fulfilled their obligations to ensure a safe working environment for employees.”

Thejane added that preliminary findings show DEL was not informed of the construction site and that “there was no proper documentation on the site.” He said: “Should non-compliance be confirmed, the DEL will refer the matter for criminal prosecution. All will be determined in the finalisation of the report.”

Delays and timeline

Thejane said the investigation experienced delays because of procurement processes to appoint an external structural engineer with the relevant competency. The department anticipates finalising the investigation within the next six months. DEL issued a prohibition notice on 12 December 2025 instructing the property owner not to remove, alter or demolish the structure once recovery efforts were concluded.

Technical probes and regulatory concerns

The DPWI and the Council for the Built Environment (CBE) are leading a technical probe into the collapse. DPWI Minister Dean Macpherson said they will soon table the so-called George Report to Cabinet. He said the DPWI and the CBE have reports that are near conclusion or concluded, including on Redcliffe and Ormonde.

“When we have disasters, our job is to always ask two simple questions. One, what went wrong? Two, how do we make it better for the future?”

Macpherson said preliminary indications from relevant authorities are concerning: that no approved building plans or construction permits were submitted or issued, and that the building may have been occupied without an occupation certificatecontraventions of the National Building Regulations and Standards.

Municipal record and regulatory history

eThekwini Municipality mayor Cyril Xaba said the city received two building plans from the land trustees between 2022 and 2023; both applications were refused because the land was zoned as a conservation reserve. KwaZulu-Natal DPWI MEC Martin Meyer said the scene was handed over to DEL after recovery efforts concluded.

What happens next

The DEL is continuing its OHSA-based investigation in coordination with criminal investigators. The final decision on referral for criminal prosecution will follow the department’s completed report and the determination of non-compliance under the relevant safety and construction regulations.