WeeklySA_AdminCOMPENSATION: Son fell to death while working as a technician at the Global Citizen Mandela 1OO Concert but seemingly no one to blame
By Ali Mphaki
A grieving mother can at least afford a smile after the Department of Employment and Labour made good this week by confirming she will receive compensation for her breadwinner son who fell to his death while working as a technician at the Global Citizen 100 Mandela Concert at the FNB Stadium in 2018.
But tampering her relief is that almost three years later no one has been brought to book for her son’s gruesome death.
This notwithstanding that inspectors from the department of employment and labour had found Gearhouse SA to have flouted the Occupational Health Safety Act, which led to the death of the employee and had recommended to the NPA to have the company be prosecuted. More shockingly is that Gearhouse SA, the company which Siya Ngoze, 36, was employed as a rigger, never even bothered to report his death for compensation with the labour department.
DG for employment and labour Thobile Lamati told Weekly SA Mirror this week that: “With regards to the incident (of Siya’s death) unfortunately, the Prosecutor (Ms Lisa Davy) at the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court has since declined to prosecute the matter despite our efforts.’
“Our Department does not have prosecutorial power but makes recommendations to the NPA,” he said. NPA spokesman Advocate Mthunzi Mhanga had at the time of print not responded to our media inquiry about the reasons for declining to prosecute.
Siya suffered fatal injuries from a fall while installing scaffolding and cranes at the FNB Stadium in Soweto on December 5, 2018. The multi-starred event was headlined by husband-and-duo Beyonce and Jay-Z, and featured an array of local and international stars such as Cassper Nyovest, D’banj, Ed Sheeran, Femi Kuti, Sho Madjozi, and Usher, among others.
The concert was organised to honour the late former president Nelson Mandela’s 100th birthday and presented by major partner, the Motsepe Foundation, with House of Mandela, Johnson & Johnson, Cisco, Nedbank, Vodacom, Big Concerts, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
On receiving the news of compensation of her son’s death, a relieved Ms Thembisa Ngoze was overwhelmed with emotion.
“Oh, Ndiyabulela Thixo (Thank You Lord).’
“Now I will finally be able to unveil a tombstone for my son,” wiping a tear.
“I don’t know how to thank the South African Roadies Association, SARA, Weekly SA Mirror as well as ubuti Ali (referring to the writer) for their persistency in ensuring that some justice is done in the case of my son,” she said.
It’s been a bitter almost four year struggle for the ailing 56-year-old mom, whose son Siya, as he was popularly known, was the family’s sole breadwinner.
The good news for Ms Ngonze come almost two weeks after the US superstar Beyonce celebrated her 40th birthday, a milestone which were he still alive her son Siya would be celebrating his next year. But what will forever remain etched in Ms Ngonze’s memory is how she had to struggle to bury her son, having received R39 000, about $2 00, from Gearhouse SA – a major production company in SA.
Her incessant telephone calls to Gearhouse SA to ask if the money was all what her son’s life was worth being met with a stern “that matter is long closed” comment. Repeated attempts by Weekly SA Mirror to obtain comment from Gearhouse SA drew a blank. The Mandela gig was rocked by other incidents of this nature – a second person sustained an ankle injury while equipment was being taken down a day after the concert while another lost his finger during the transit.
No one knows what was their fate. Industry players put the blame on lack of transformation and the undermining of BBBEE laws of the country in the live event, technical and production sector.
Freddie Nyathela, president of South African Roadies Association, said the industry was a free for all and he accuses the department of employment and labour of dragging its feet regards proposed regulations for the Events Technical and Production Services Industry
He contends that were Siya a white technician, the matter of his compensation would have received urgent attention rather than drag for nearly four years.
For reasons of probity Weekly SA Mirror cannot disclose the amount Ms Ngoze received.
