Johannesburg - The Department of Labour on Wednesday announced that it was postponing the sitting of the inquiry into the Grayston Drive pedestrian and cyclist structural bridge collapse.
The temporary bridge, which collapsed last October on to Johannesburg’s M1 and Grayston Drive interchange, was constructed because more than 10 000 pedestrians cross over the area every day.
Read: Bridge collapse probe moves forward
Two people were killed and 19 others injured when the bridge collapsed onto vehicles passing underneath.
“The Department of Labour-appointed Grayston Drive pedestrian and cyclist structural bridge collapse inquiry has postponed the second sitting that was due to be held next week (19-21 April),” said acting spokesman Mokgadi Pela in a statement on Wednesday.
The inquiry’s presiding inspector, Lennie Samuel, said: “The postponement is due to the fact that the expert reports had not been circulated to all affected parties timeously, resulting in inadequate time to peruse and prepare appropriately.”
The Section 32 inquiry was set up by the Department of Labour following the collapse on October 14, 2015, and the hearing was appointed, in terms of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act, to investigate instances of negligence.
“I am now in receipt of the expert reports from Formscaff and Murray & Roberts. Permission is granted for the circulation of the reports to all parties. This process must be concluded by close of business on the 13th April 2016,” said the office of the presiding inspector.
“Investigation reports are still awaited from the JDA and Royal Haskoning DHV in terms of the General Administrative Regulations 9, as incorporated in the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993.”
Pela said the next sitting of the inquiry was now set for 4-6 May 2016, but the venue and the scheduling of witnesses were still to be confirmed soon.
ANA