Building collapses: Red flags ignored

WHEN the Sidewalk Café, a then-popular bar in the Central Business District (CBD), collapsed in 2008, killing at least four patrons and injuring several others, few people anticipated such a tragedy.

In April 2024, a similar incident occurred when a dilapidated building’s balcony collapsed at the intersection of Chinhoyi and Bank streets, claiming the life of 19-year-old Yolanda Hodzi and injuring six others.

Hodzi and dozens of people had sought shelter from the rain on the pavement when the building’s structure gave way.

Before these incidents, it would have seemed improbable that a seemingly sturdy building in the heart of the city could collapse and cause fatalities.

However, these tragic events highlighted the underlying risks associated with ageing infrastructure and inadequate maintenance.

Following the Sidewalk Café collapse, investigations revealed that the building was structurally unsound and unfit for public use. This incident served as a wake-up call for the authorities to prioritise building safety.

A few years later, the Harare City Council identified and condemned several buildings in the CBD, including Roslin House, Daventry and Dublin, deeming them hazardous to the public.

Despite these warnings, little action has been taken to address these issues, leaving the public at continued risk.

The Sidewalk Café debacle was a rude wake-up call for immediate action by the authorities to prevent future tragedies.

But, since then, the number of buildings posing a significant threat to public safety has likely increased, as many have gone for years without inspection.

A number of these buildings are now occupied by informal traders, who partition the space into small offices to avoid high rental costs.

Some have even been converted into shopping malls while others serve as residential units, despite not meeting the necessary standards for housing.

Runners dealing in an assortment of goods, tailors, cellphone dealers and small restaurants now dominate most buildings in the city, compromising the structures’ safety.

While specific safety requirements vary, all buildings must adhere to fundamental standards, including ventilation, fire protection, elevator and stair safety, adequate lighting, reliable water and sewage systems, and sufficient load-bearing capacity.

If these aspects are compromised, a building can be deemed unsafe for public use.

In Zimbabwe, all buildings are required to meet the minimum standards outlined in the Model Building By-laws to ensure public health and safety. The city council has the authority to close any building that fails to comply with these regulations.

Many of the city’s older structures, dating back to the colonial era, have received little to no refurbishment since independence, exacerbating the public safety risk.

This issue is not unique to Zimbabwe. In May 2024, three Zimbabweans were injured when a partially completed five-storey building collapsed in George, South Africa.