Thongathi Mall Commission of Inquiry ready to get the ball rolling to uncover causes of doomed mall
The Department of Labour (DoL) wishes to announce that a four-person enquiry it established to shed light into what transpired during the Thongathi Mall disaster will officially hold its first phase of hearings from 11 to 14 February 2014.
Over the next two weeks ahead of the hearings the DoL will proceed in earnest with the process to send out subpoenas as a matter of urgency to the affected stakeholders. The hearing will be held at Municipal offices in Thongathi. The Commission is expected to gather its evidence for a period of at least six months.
The Section 32 hearing, an initiative instituted by the Department of Labour against parties whose negligence results in occupational injuries and death of workers follows the collapse in November of the Tongaat Shopping Mall that left two persons dead and 29 others injured.
The Thongathi Mall Commission of Inquiry has been given a mandate to investigate concerns and series of events that led to the tragic Thongathi Mall that collapsed last year.
On completion of its work the Commission is expected to prepare a report of its findings, formulate recommendations which will be presented to Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant, the Department of Labour’s Chief Inspector Thobile Lamati and the Directorate of Public Prosecutions for their consideration.
The Thongathi Mall Commission will be chaired by Phumudzo Maphaha who will preside over the hearings. The Commission is currently consolidating the outstanding reports submitted by various stakeholders who will be expected to be interviewed during the hearing.
The Thongathi Mall Commission expects to interview between 20 to 50 witnesses. The hearings are expected to be held between 09h00 and 17h00.
NB: The Department of Labour encourages media personnel and affected stakeholders to source accreditation to the proceedings of the inquiry. The accreditation may be acquired via KwaZulu-Natal’s Department of Labour Provincial Communication section headed by Nhlanhla Khumalo on nhlanhlax.khumalo@labour.gov.za, 031 366 2018 or 074 589 9682.
