Clarification of facts regarding the Grayston drive pedestrian & cyclist bridge section 32 inquiry

05 July 2018

Johannesburg, 5 July 2018 - Murray & Roberts is pleased that the Department of Labour-led Section 32 Inquiry (“Inquiry”) has resumed, as very few formal sittings have taken place since its inception towards the end of 2015.

The board of directors of Murray & Roberts is disappointed at the slow pace the Inquiry has progressed, which has delayed closure of this distressing incident for all parties involved. Murray & Roberts would like to see the Inquiry completed as expeditiously as possible and without any further delay or disruption.

Clarification of facts related to witnesses and their cross examination

Murray & Roberts would like to clarify the following:

• former Murray & Roberts employees interviewed this week are independently advised by their own legal representatives and not by Murray & Roberts legal counsel;
• they are former employees, due to the transaction where Murray & Roberts sold all its infrastructure & building businesses to the Southern Palace Group in April 2017;
• the suggestion by legal counsel representing the various interested parties at the Inquiry (excluding the Johannesburg Development Agency) to not pursue any cross examination, was for the purpose of expediency of the proceedings, as the witness statements submitted to the Inquiry were comprehensive; and
• in these specific proceedings at the Inquiry, there is no legal right to cross examination of witnesses, thus they have the right to decline answering questions posed.

Department of Labour (“DOL”) media summaries

The DOL has been issuing daily media summaries of the evidence at the conclusion of proceedings each day, which Murray & Roberts believes is inappropriate, particularly where they are inaccurate and an incorrect characterisation of the evidence presented.

Murray & Roberts legal counsel requested the Presiding Officer, Phumi Maphaha, to order that all further media summaries relating to the Inquiry are ceased. Murray & Roberts has further requested a retraction of the media summary released yesterday by the DOL.

The Presiding Officer has this morning announced that the DOL will not be issuing further media summaries until it receives an internal legal opinion on this matter.

 

About Murray & Roberts

Murray & Roberts is a leading engineering and construction services group of companies. It has delivered infrastructure projects throughout South and Southern Africa for more than 115 years, and is today recognised as an international engineering and construction group. The Group achieves this by focusing its expertise and capacity on delivering sustainable project engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, operations and maintenance solutions.

The Group delivers its capabilities into three global primary market sectors: oil & gas; metals & minerals and power & water.

Murray & Roberts is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, and is listed on the JSE Limited. It has offices in:

Africa: South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia and Ghana Australasia: Australia and South Korea Europe: Scotland North America: USA and Canada

Murray & Roberts is a group of world-class companies and brands aligned to the same purpose and vision, and guided by the same set of values.

For more information about Murray & Roberts, please visit www.murrob.com

 

Further information:

 

Murray & Roberts

Ed Jardim

Group Media and Investor Executive

ed.jardim@murrob.com

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