The Responsibility to Do the Right Thing

South African regulatory entity, the South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions (SACPCMP) reiterates the critical importance of utilising registered professionals in the construction sector.

SACPCMP President, Sharon Shunmugam

Over and over, the construction industry in South Africa has been subjected to incidents in which lives are lost, or people are critically injured because responsibilities are ignored, sound construction practices are flouted, or the use of professional, registered persons on projects simply doesn’t happen. And we, as a nation, are left with headlines hailing collapse, grief-stricken families, calls for justice and heads shaken in disbelief that “It’s happened again”.

The most recent incident that South Africa’s construction sector witnessed was a wall collapse at the Nazareth Baptist Church complex in KwaZulu-Natal in July 2026. This again saw the South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions (SACPCMP) reiterate the importance of utilising the relevant registered professionals when undertaking any construction activity, regardless of the size and scale of the project.

“While all details into the cause of the collapse are yet to be confirmed, we understand, as a regulator of the Construction Sector, that ensuring the relevant professionals are involved in construction goes a long way to ensure that safety on projects is brought to the fore. This, in the form of registered building inspectors, construction health and safety professionals and construction project managers, minimises risk and increases awareness pertaining to potential issues that may arise during construction practices,” said SACPCMP President, Sharon Shunmugam.

“The safety of the public, workers and all users of the built environment must remain the foremost priority in every construction-related activity. Registered professionals provide the necessary experience, competence and accountability required to ensure that projects are executed in accordance with lawful construction processes, applicable standards and sound professional practice.”

Following a site visit to the area undertaken by the Minister of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson (MP), Shunmugam commended the minister’s commitment to the professionalisation of the built environment: “The SACPCMP welcomes the Minister’s commitment to strengthen building practices and prevent future collapses across the built environment. The SACPCMP stands ready, within its statutory mandate, to support these efforts aimed at strengthening compliance, professional accountability and public safety,” she said.

She noted that the Council was deeply concerned that incidents of this nature continue to occur within the sector, particularly where construction activities may place members of the public, workers and communities at risk.

“As investigations proceed, the SACPCMP urges all stakeholders involved in construction projects to ensure that planning, design, implementation, inspection and oversight processes are undertaken in compliance with applicable laws, regulations and professional standards,” she said.

“The built environment has a direct impact on human life, public confidence and community well-being. Every construction project, regardless of scale or location, must be approached with the necessary professional oversight, lawful approvals, competent supervision and ethical responsibility, and the SACPCMP remains committed to promoting professional standards that protect the public and strengthen confidence in South Africa’s construction industry.”

About the SACPCMP

The South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions (SACPCMP) is a statutory body established, through an act of Parliament, deriving its mandate from the Constitution. The Council was established by Section 2 of the Project and Construction Management Professions Act (No. 48 of 2000,) to regulate project and construction management professionals to protect the public.
The Council, which is self-funded, protects the public by identifying the type and scope of work, registering professionals and maintaining a national register of professionals who adhere to a Code of Conduct. Currently, the SACPCMP regulates the project and construction management professions, the construction health and safety professions and the Building Inspectorate. The entity, however, will soon look to register persons under a “new” category of Social Facilitation. More details in this regard will be released later in 2026.

Safeguarding standards and accountability

SACPCMP-registered persons are the principal agents on all sites, determining the selection of other agents required for the progression and continuation of all construction-related projects. All persons registered with the SACPCMP shall uphold and advance the honour and dignity of the professions in keeping with high standards of ethical conduct, and shall:
• act with integrity and sincerity in serving their employers, clients and the public with diligence and care;
• strive to increase their competence and the prestige of their profession;
• apply their skill and knowledge to advance human welfare; and
• not engage in any act of dishonesty, corruption or bribery.

Mandates of the SACPCMP

  1. Identification of work
  2. Guideline professional fees
  3. Continuous professional development
  4. Accreditation of built environment programmes
  5. Code of conduct for the professions
  6. Professional registration
  7. Recognition of voluntary associations
  8. Recognition of new specified categories
  9. International agreements
  10. Recognition of prior learning
  11. Standard generating body
  12. Appeals and tribunals
  13. Competency standards for registrations For more details regarding the SACPCMP, visit
    www.sacpcmp.org.za.
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