JOHANNESBURG, South Africa: A man has been arrested on suspicion of killing 76 people after telling a public inquiry he started August 2023 deadly fire in a Johannesburg building.
The 29-year-old confessed while giving evidence at the inquiry, BBC News said quoting police.
Last year fire gutted the Usindiso building in Marshalltown, housing many poor people, claiming 77 lives and leaving many injured.
The tragedy highlighted the issue of buildings abandoned or neglected by their owners in the country.
According to the South African Police Service spokesperson, the suspect, who cannot be identified, is expected to appear in court soon. He also faces charges of torching and 120 counts of attempted murder.
The police said the individual confessed to “being involved in starting the tragic fire” while giving evidence during a closed session of the inquiry.
The Usindiso building was home to hundreds of people, some of the poorest in South African society.
Such abandoned buildings are often left without basic services such as electricity, water 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 as Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda Monday 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 in the coming months.
The country faces a chronic housing shortage, with an estimated 15,000 people estimated to be homeless in Johannesburg only.
