A man who claimed to have set the fatal fire in a Johannesburg skyscraper in August has been detained on suspicion of 76 murders.
According to authorities, the 29-year-old confessed while testifying during the investigation. A fire destroyed the Usindiso building in Marshalltown last year, killing 77 people and injuring numerous more. The structure was home to many impoverished individuals.
The incident brought attention to the problem of South African building owners neglecting or abandoning their properties.
According to a spokesman for the South African Police Service, the unidentified suspect is anticipated to appear in court shortly. In addition, 120 counts of attempted murder and arson charges are anticipated for him.
During a session of the inquiry, the person admitted to “being involved in starting the tragic fire,” according to authorities.
Hundreds of the poorest members of South African society lived at the Usindiso building. Such abandoned houses are occasionally “hijacked,” or taken over, by criminals who make demands of the occupants. They are frequently left without essential facilities like water and power or fire protection measures.
The Usindiso building was owned by the City of Johannesburg, and Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda announced on Monday that 188 “bad” buildings—134 of which were located within the inner city—were under investigation.
The public investigation into the tragedy is gathering information on the fire and the more general problem of dangerous structures, with a report expected later this year.
President Cyril Ramaphosa declared shortly after the fire that it had served as a “wake up call” for South Africa and that the city of Johannesburg needed to address problems related to housing and services in the inner city.
There is a severe housing scarcity in South Africa; in Johannesburg, there are thought to be 15,000 homeless people.
