Johannesburg – The Grayston Drive Pedestrian and cyclist structural bridge collapse inquiry has been postponed, the Department of Labour said on Wednesday.
“The sitting of the Grayston Drive Pedestrian and cyclist structural bridge collapse inquiry expected to sit for three days from today (04 May 2016) was postponed due to ‘untold’ challenges faced by the Commission,” said Mokgadi Pela, the acting departmental spokesman.
Grayston Drive Pedestrian and cyclist structural bridge collapse inquiry Presiding Officer, Lennie Samuel told the third sitting that every time the Commission meets it experiences “untold” challenges.
Samuel said the issues faced on Wednesday by the Commission were beyond his control.
“We have had a series of communication with various stakeholders to the inquiry. We have also made sufficient progress to date. We have now received expert reports from Formscaff and Murray & Roberts. The rest of the parties have submitted statements,” said Samuel.
Two experts from Formscaff had been expected to give evidence before the Inquiry before it was postponed.
Samuel told the briefing that 20 witnesses have been lined up to testify before the Inquiry. They include engineers, construction firm Murray & Roberts, the City of Johannesburg, the Johannesburg Development Agency, Royal HaskoningDHV, Formscaff, Engineering Council of South Africa, and the National Union of Mineworkers.
Samuel said because the Inquiry was not able to sit on Wednesday, due to unexpected glitches, it would be expected to sit again on 07 July 2016 at a venue to be confirmed in due course.
The Inquiry was set up after the 14 October 2015 collapse of the temporary bridge structure across the M1 near the Grayston Drive off ramp. The bridge collapsed onto cars passing underneath. Two people were killed and 19 other injured, as a result.
Pela said after the incident, the department set up a section 32 inquiry in terms of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act to investigate instances of negligence and contravention of safety legislation.
The Inquiry will focus on: the responsibility of the principal constructor in terms of the construction regulations and as an employer, the responsibility of the client in terms of construction regulations, the responsibility of the agent on behalf of the client in terms of the same regulations, supplier of the materials and design.
African News Agency
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