Zion Wildlife Gardens charges adjourned without plea

 

The Department of Labour has confirmed that charges laid under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 following the death of animal handler Dalu Mncube at Zion Wildlife Gardens near Whangarei in May 2009 have been adjourned without plea to 18 February 2010.

Charges have been laid against Zion Wildlife Services Limited under section 6 of the Act for ‘failing to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of employees while at work’ and against Zion Wildlife Gardens Limited under section 16 of the Act for ‘failing to take all practicable steps to ensure that no hazard that is in the place of work harms people who are lawfully at work as employees of a contractor’.

As the matter is before the court the Department will make no further comment.