Mchunu receives report on RTI test deaths

UNDUNANKULU waKwaZulu-Natal, uMnuz Senzo Mchunu ehalalisela uNgqongqoshe omusha wezemfundo uNkk Peggy Nkonyeni obenguSomlomo wesiShayamthetho

UNDUNANKULU waKwaZulu-Natal, uMnuz Senzo Mchunu ehalalisela uNgqongqoshe omusha wezemfundo uNkk Peggy Nkonyeni obenguSomlomo wesiShayamthetho

Published Jul 1, 2014

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Durban - KwaZulu-Natal premier Senzo Mchunu has received a report from the commission of inquiry into the deaths of eight applicants for traffic officer jobs.

“I will study the report and I will also ensure that it is tabled before the provincial executive council and acted upon,” Mchunu said in a statement on Tuesday.

The commission probed the deaths of eight people who took part in a four-kilometre run at the Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg in December last year.

This formed part of a fitness test for job applicants. More than 40 000 people qualified to apply for 90 advertised Road Traffic Inspectorate trainee posts.

Of these, 20 000 applicants attended the test on December 27 and a similar number on December 28.

Mchunu said this was to keep the promise he made during his state of the province address on Thursday.

“In my address last week I pointed out that we are glad that the commission has finally finished its work after delays caused by requests from commissioners who wanted to interrogate more evidence,” he said.

He said the report was conducted thoroughly and dismissed claims that the inquiry was deliberately prolonged.

“Some in other quarters used our attention to detail to create the impression that we were deliberately prolonging the anguish of the families of the victims.”

In December, the Sunday Times reported that the commission was expected to cost about R14.2 million.

The newspaper reported that providing a meal of curry and rice and cooldrinks for the approximately 50 people attending the commission cost R494 962.

Other expenses include R424 164 for audiovisual services and R230 000 for travel costs.

Sapa

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