On 23rd January (local time), a man was arrested by the police for starting a fire in a building, leading to the death of 76 people, including 12 children. The culprit confessed to the arson and said he was trying to get rid of the body of someone he had strangulated in the basement on the orders of a drug dealer. The fire incident occurred in an apartment building in downtown Johannesburg in August 2023. It was termed as one of the worst disasters in South Africa.
During the inquiry into the causes of the fire, the accused confessed to starting the fire. The agencies did not reveal the identity of the 29-year-old accused. During the inquiry into the fire, he told the investigation agencies that he killed a man in the basement of the building by beating him and strangulating him. Later, he poured gasoline on the dead body and set it alight with a match. The fire started by the accused to dispose of the dead body engulfed the whole apartment building, killing 76 persons.
He said in his testimony that he was a drug user and was told to kill the man by a drug dealer who lived in the same building. Following his confession, he was arrested by the police. The accused will face 76 counts of murder and 120 counts of attempted murder, along with a charge of arson. Interestingly, his testimony was a surprise as he was not giving a statement in a criminal proceeding. The inquiry was to investigate the fire’s causes and what safety failures might have resulted in the disaster. As the accused was a building resident, he was being questioned by the police in a routine inquiry.
The panel in charge of the investigation ordered his identity to be concealed following his testimony. As it was not a criminal proceeding, his testimony would not be used against him—the accused has been referred to as “Mr X” by the South African media. The investigation agency will present him in court soon.
The fire that killed 76 in August 2023 brought attention to the long-running problem of highjacked buildings. These structures were abandoned due to bad living conditions but were later taken over by squatters. Hundreds of such buildings in the old center may lead to similar disasters in the future.
The city administration owned the building. However, illegal landlords took over it and rented out the apartments to poor people who were unable to find places to live. Illegal immigrants also reside in such buildings.
In his testimony, the accused confirmed that the building housed criminals and drug dealers. When emergency services reached the building for rescue, it was found that most fire escapes were locked or chained, making it difficult for the authorities to rescue people living inside. Several people reportedly jumped out of the windows to save themselves, leading to more deaths and injuries. Children and babies were thrown out, hoping people standing below the building would catch them.
