Long wait for answers on M1 bridge collapse

Inquiry into 2015 bridge collapse has suffered numerous delays due to late submissions of statements.

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Johannesburg - Answers as to what caused the collapse of the M1/Grayston Drive pedestrian bridge, which led to the deaths of two people and injuries to 19, will be known only next year.

The commission postponed the hearing yet again on Monday at the Department of Labour’s offices in Pretoria.

Presiding commissioner Lennie Samuel postponed the inquiry to next year following a “short notice” request for additional information from an expert witness representing Form-Scaff, who was supposed to testify on Monday.

The expert, Gary Farrow, a mechanical engineer from Australia, was said to have been in Melbourne and unable to come to South Africa after the construction company Murray & Roberts had requested additional information from him.

Murray & Roberts was said to have sent a list of 72 questions to Farrow, and the inquiry felt there was too little time for him to respond adequately.

“I am sitting with a challenge now, because we could not contact other witnesses on time to appear before the commission. We did not want to prejudice the Form-Scaff witness by subjecting him to intense interrogation without enough time to prepare,” said Samuel.

“Next year we will be faced with added pressure because of time. I appeal to all affected parties to commit to time schedules when requested to submit statements and reports, so as to mitigate further delays.”

The announcement of an inquiry into the collapse in October last year was initially set to have taken six months to complete once it started in February, but it has met with numerous delays due to late submission of statements and reports and non-availability of legal representatives.

The next sitting will be held over five days from March 27.

The Star