A male individual has been charged with 76 counts of murder and 86 counts of attempted murder for admitting to causing a fatal fire at an apartment complex, which is considered one of the worst disasters in South African history.
The accused was also accused of starting a fire and was instructed to remain in police custody until a bail hearing in the following month. He could potentially receive a life sentence, as the death penalty is not applicable in South Africa.
The suspect, Sithembiso Lawrence Mdlalose, was reported by prosecutors to have provided a written admission.
On Tuesday, Mdlalose was taken into custody following a shocking statement made during an investigation in which he admitted to causing the deadly August fire that claimed the lives of 76 individuals and left numerous others injured at a residential building in central Johannesburg.
During the investigation, he confessed to starting the fire in an attempt to conceal the body of a man he had murdered in the building’s basement. He stated that he had strangled the man and then doused his body with gasoline before igniting it.
On August 31, 2023, in the early morning hours, a fire consumed a five-story building.
According to prosecutors, Mdlalose’s alleged admission during the inquiry cannot be used as evidence in his trial because the inquiry is not a criminal case. They stated that he later provided a written confession in front of a judge.
Source: theguardian.com
