Man held for murder over South Africa building fire
A man has been apprehended on suspicion of committing 76 murders after admitting to initiating the fatal fire in a Johannesburg building during a public inquiry last August.
The 29-year-old confessed while providing testimony at the inquiry, as confirmed by the police.
The Usindiso building in Marshalltown was devastated by a fire last year, resulting in the loss of 77 lives and causing numerous injuries, especially among the impoverished residents.
This tragic incident brought attention to the problem of neglected or abandoned buildings by their owners in South Africa.
A spokesperson for the South African Police Service stated that the suspect, whose identity is protected, is anticipated to appear in court soon. Additionally, he is likely to face charges of arson and 120 counts of attempted murder.
The individual revealed his involvement in initiating the devastating fire while testifying during a session of the inquiry, according to the police.
The Usindiso building was home to hundreds of people, some of the poorest people in South African society.
Such abandoned buildings are often left without basic services such as water and electricity or fire safety measures – and are sometimes “hijacked” or taken over by criminals who make demands on residents.
The City of Johannesburg owned the Usindiso building and on Monday, Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda said 188 “bad” buildings were being investigated, with 134 of them in the inner city.
The public inquiry into the disaster is taking evidence on the fire and the wider issue of unsafe buildings and is due to report later this year.
Shortly after the fire President Cyril Ramaphosa said it had been a “wake-up call” for South Africa and the city of Johannesburg had to get to grips with issues around housing and services in Johannesburg’s inner city.
South Africa faces a chronic housing shortage, with an estimated 15,000 people believed to be homeless in Johannesburg.