BETRAYED. Sunday Times of 5 June 2005.'Two years ago, Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa promised to pay Soraya Scott’s bills after she was paralysed when a marquee collapsed during Women’s Day celebrations. But now she has been forced to go to court.

GAUTENG is refusing to compensate the businesswoman paralysed when a marquee collapsed during Women’s Day celebrations at the Union Buildings two years ago, and it’s even demanding that she prove she was severely injured in the incident. Now Soraya Scott, who has no sensation below her navel and is confined to a wheelchair, is being forced to go to court for compensation. The 39-year-old mother of two was celebrating one of the high points of her life when the marquee collapsed during a function at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on August 9 2003. The owner of a waste management company operating in Orange Farm, Lenasia and Eldorado Park, Scott had just received the Gauteng Premier’s award for economic empowerment from President Thabo Mbeki when a gust of wind blew the marquee down. President Mbeki and other dignitaries narrowly escaped injury, but Scott was left paralysed after two vertebrae were pushed out of place, severing the nerves. Visiting her in hospital, two days after her accident, Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa vowed that if the provincial government found it had to pay Scott’s bills in full, it would do so “with no qualms”. But Scott has filed papers in the Joburg High Court suing Shilowa, the Tshwane council, the company contracted to erect the stage and marquee; and another company which was subsequently subcontracted to do certain aspects of the job. Scott is claiming R11768203.98 in damages for pain and suffering, medical and hospital expenses, and loss of income. In court papers filed at the Joburg High Court, Scott claims that the marquee:

•Was unsafe and did not comply with minimum standards;

•Was not properly secured to the ground;

•Did not have sufficient bracing; and

•Was erected without the supervision of an engineer and put into use without a completion certificate having been issued.

Scott also claims that after the marquee was erected, no tests were carried out to check how stable it was and that the possible effect of the wind was not taken into account. An investigation into the accident by the Labour department in November 2003 attributed it to the marquee’s inability to withstand a “gust of wind”. The investigation also revealed that there were “no appropriate ground anchorages” and a “lack of bracing”. In papers filed at court, Scott says that as a result of her accident, she cannot move her legs and has no sensation below the navel. She has also lost all bladder and bowel function, experiences back and hip pain, suffers from depression, and will be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life. However, in March, Shilowa filed papers in court asking that Scott’s claims be dismissed. While Shilowa admits in his court papers that he and the Tshwane council were responsible for the planning and staging of the National Women’s Day event on August 9 2003, he says that the company they had appointed had then subcontracted aspects of the work, including erecting the marquee over the stage, without his knowledge or consent. Shilowa also claims to have “no knowledge” of the gust of wind which allegedly blew down the marquee or of Scott’s injuries, and requests proof of both. This week, a dejected Scott said she was dismayed that she had to pursue the matter through the courts — a long and arduous process. “Things have not gone well for me. I lost out on several business contracts, can’t work for more than four hours a day and need money to complete renovations of my house for the wheelchair.” But Shilowa’s spokesman Annette Griessel said on Friday that the Gauteng government “remains committed to assist Soraya Scott in her recovery arising from the injuries she sustained.  “We have to date paid for all medical and hospital costs incurred by the Scott family. “We are keen to ensure a speedy resolution to the civil matter arising from the case. We have instructed the state attorney to expedite the process of finalising the matter.” 

Women's Day stage collapse victim Suraya Scott will take legal action against the people who left her wheelchair-bound for life'. The Star of 15 November 2003.

‘Stage roof collapsing was not firm’s fault’. IOL. The company that erected the stage roof that collapsed at the Union Buildings on Woman's Day is not to blame for the accident, Saturday Star has been told. Presentech's Paul Nel - speaking for the first time since the accident which left businesswoman Soraya Scott paralysed - refuted suggestions that his company held sole liability for the incident. The collapse report, released last week by the separtment of labour, attributed the accident to the structure's inability to withstand a "gust of wind". It further said that there were "no appropriate ground anchorages" and a "lack of bracing". It had also been previously noted that the Tshwane Metropolitan council did not issue the required clearance certificates. Nel insists that the stage roof was constructed to specifications. "The structure is imported from Europe and comes in kit form. We have had it for about eight months and have always erected it the same way, according to the guidelines set by the manufacturers (Poland's Lumex)," he said. A lot had been said by the department of labour about the lack of clearance certificates issued for the structure, and the suggestion had been that it was Presentech's responsibility to seek these. However, Nel said one had to very careful about which certificates they were referring to as there were various types of certificates with different parties being responsible for them. "When we built the structure we did all the usual checks and have the appropriate internal documentation to prove this," he said. In terms of the structural engineer's clearance that is also required, Nel said that as a subcontractor, his company was at the bottom of the hierarchy. "It is not up to us to appoint an engineer for the event. There is first of all the land owner, who I would presume is the national government, then there's the event organiser (Gauteng Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture/Premier's Office); the contractor (Computer Audio Visual Technology) and then there's us the sub-contractor. "As a company we had our internal certification which was present on site at all times, but it wasn't up to us to call engineers from Tshwane," said Nel. He added that even if the clearance had been provided, he doubts "the outcome on the day would have been different," suggesting that the structure would have collapsed anyway. Meanwhile, Barry Snow, chairperson of the Technical Production Services Association of Southern Africa, an association representing technical services suppliers to the events industry, has slammed the focus of the report. "It focuses on the accident and nothing else. Fingers are only being pointed in one direction, Presentech, and there are so many other people to look at. What about the event manager - they have as much responsibility as Presentech?" asked Snow.