New Joburg forensic lab ‘to be completed in June’

The project, led by the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development, has been marred by several delays.

It has been four years since the doors of the R588 million state-of-the-art facility were meant to have opened.

A spokesperson for the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development, Victor Moreriane, attributed the four-year delay to the Covid-19 pandemic and disputes with contractors over building schedules. 

"In November, we managed to procure a new team of professional consultants. This team has started working, and they have submitted their building schedule. 

"Work will be concluded by the 30th of June this year," vowed Moreriane. 

The new laboratory is meant to replace the Hillbrow Forensic Mortuary, which is considered unsuitable. 

Hundreds of Johannesburg residents have not been able to bury their loved ones on time due to the backlog at the Hillbrow mortuary. 

Health and Wellness MEC in Gauteng Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko blamed the high crime rate in the province for the backlog at the mortuary.

READ: High crime rate to blame for Hillbrow mortuary backlog, says MEC 

Moreriane said despite the challenges faced by the department in completing the project; the department has now managed to find solutions to avoid any further delays. 

"The 2022 deadline could not be executed mainly because the professional consultants were not performing in line with our expectations. Therefore, we had to terminate the contract.”