The South African Department of Labour has announced another postponement of the inquiry into the M1/Grayston Drive pedestrian and cyclist structural bridge collapse. The hearings were set to resume at end of the month (March), having been on hold since last August, but have now been put back until 4 May.

The statement from the Department of Labour said that the hearings were postponed 'due to technical challenges affecting the proceedings'. 

Proceedings of the Inquiry were brought to a halt on 29 August 2016 by presiding officer Lennie Samuel, when one of the interested parties made a short-notice request for additional information from an expert witness representing Form-Scaff. The expert witness in question was still on the stand providing testimony. The inquiry felt the request could not be acceded to because the information requested could not be secured immediately as the witness was residing abroad.

South African formwork supplier Form-Scaff was involved in the construction of the cycle and pedestrian bridge that collapsed on 14 October 2015 killing two people and injuring 19. Other interested parties were the City of Johannesburg and the Johannesburg Development Agency who were clients that appointed Royal Haskoning DHV as an agent. Murray & Roberts is the principal contractor and the supplier of material.

Expected to testify when the inquiry resumes is a witness on behalf of Form-Scaff, Gary Farrow, a mechanical engineer from Australia. To date four witnesses representing Murray & Roberts have testified. More testimony is still expected from Murray & Roberts, Form-Scaff, Royal Haskoning DHV, consultants and the JDA.

The inquiry is mandated to investigate - but is not limited to - the following:

· The responsibility of the client in terms of construction regulations

· The responsibility of the principal contractor in terms of the construction regulations and as an employer

· The responsibility of the agent on behalf of the client in terms of the same regulations

· Supplier of materials

· Design

The inquiry was announced by the Department of Labour in October 2015, and it started its evidence gathering work in February 2016.