Arnolds highlights inequality after fatal building collapse

Johannesburg Council Speaker, Margaret Arnolds.

Johannesburg Council Speaker, Margaret Arnolds has described the incident in which a double-storey building collapsed last weekend as a reminder for government to urgently address inequality.

Arnolds was among those who paid respects to three members of the Xaba family in Soweto who were in the house when it collapsed.

The deceased are the family’s 60-year-old grandmother, Hloniphile Xaba, her 24-year-old daughter Ngobile and her one-year-old grandchild. Arnorlds says the government needs to urgently address the challenges of informal settlements.

“The tragedy forces us to confront difficult but necessary truth, housing is not merely about structure. But it is about safety, dignity and the preservation of life. A home should be a place where a family feels secure, where children sleep without fear and where the elderly are protected,” says Arnolds.

WATCH | City of Johannesburg Council Speaker Margaret Arnolds calls for a private-public partnership in order to eradicate housing challenges in the city. She was speaking at the funeral of the three members of the Xaba family who died tragically when their two-storey home… pic.twitter.com/J1JjmsWtN4

— SABC News (@SABCNews) January 3, 2026