The owners of Union Arcade, the University of Fort Hare (UFH) student residence where a ceiling collapsed and injured a student on Thursday, have shifted the blame, saying it was in fact Buffalo City Metro’s fault it collapsed.
SKG Properties, the landlord of the residence in Arcadia Street in East London, told UFH vice-chancellor Professor Sakhela Buhlungu the building was structurally sound.
This was after Buhlungu and some senior university managers inspected the building on Thursday.
The property group claims the building’s pipes had been blocked because of the trench dug on Buffalo Street, which it said resulted in the ceiling collapsing.
The academic said the spotlight had wrongly been placed on the university following the incident.
“When things like this happen, the spotlight is on the university. Actually, the spotlight should be on SKG. The spotlight should be on the CEO, Mr Du Plessis.”
Buhlungu said the time for the landlord to make a quick buck was over.
“We are not going to allow any landlord to flout any of the regulations. I have seen the conditions, I have seen the collapse of the roof, and I am going to act,” he said.
SKG chief operating officer Rhett Shaw, who was with the university delegation during the inspection on Thursday, said blocked down-pipes caused the incident.
Shaw said it was because of the trench dug on Buffalo Street that the pipes of the building were blocked.
“Structurally, there is nothing wrong with the concerned building. The building is structurally sound,” he said, adding that it was not their responsibility to maintain the pavement, but the municipality’s.
Landlord blames BCM for damage
SKG Properties, the landlord of the residence in Arcadia Street in East London, told UFH vice-chancellor Professor Sakhela Buhlungu the building was structurally sound.
This was after Buhlungu and some senior university managers inspected the building on Thursday.
The property group claims the building’s pipes had been blocked because of the trench dug on Buffalo Street, which it said resulted in the ceiling collapsing.
The academic said the spotlight had wrongly been placed on the university following the incident.
“When things like this happen, the spotlight is on the university. Actually, the spotlight should be on SKG. The spotlight should be on the CEO, Mr Du Plessis.”
Buhlungu said the time for the landlord to make a quick buck was over.
“We are not going to allow any landlord to flout any of the regulations. I have seen the conditions, I have seen the collapse of the roof, and I am going to act,” he said.
SKG chief operating officer Rhett Shaw, who was with the university delegation during the inspection on Thursday, said blocked down-pipes caused the incident.
Shaw said it was because of the trench dug on Buffalo Street that the pipes of the building were blocked.
“Structurally, there is nothing wrong with the concerned building. The building is structurally sound,” he said, adding that it was not their responsibility to maintain the pavement, but the municipality’s.
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