Usindiso Building arsonist, Sithembiso Lawrence Mdlalose, will have to wait until next month to know his fate.Â
On Wednesday, the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, reserved its judgment against the 31-year-old.
The matter was postponed to July 21 to allow the State to comply with court directives and to address issues relating to certain post-mortem findings that were previously raised by the court.
According to the State’s case, the accused, who was a resident of the building, was allegedly involved in a violent altercation with another resident of the abandoned building, which housed more than 200 squatters before the tragic incident.
Judge Cassim Moosa informed the court that a decision could not be reached due to outstanding compliance from the State regarding post-mortem findings related to the incident.
The State had initially aimed to deliver its case in May, but faced delays after discrepancies were identified in the post-mortem reports of the victims who perished in the inferno.
“Mr Mdlalose, the matter is unable to proceed today, as you have heard counsel from the State advise that they require an additional period of time to comply with the directive that this court issued on occasion,” Judge Moosa told Mdlalose.
Mdlalose faces 76 counts of murder and 12 counts of attempted murder, arising from the devastating fire that engulfed the Usindiso Building in Johannesburg on August 31, 2023.
During the court proceedings, which have gone on for two years, Mdlalose was implicated in a violent altercation with another resident just before the fire.
The State alleges that following this confrontation, Mdlalose procured petrol, returned to the building, and doused a resident, identified only as KB, with the flammable substance before igniting it in an attempt to conceal evidence.
The fire swiftly engulfed the five-storey hijacked building, marking one of the deadliest tragedies in recent South African history.
In response to the calamity, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi instituted a Commission of Inquiry in September, led by retired Constitutional Court Justice Sisi Khampepe, tasked with examining the circumstances surrounding the disaster and its aftermath.
According to Magaboke Mohlatlole, regional spokesperson for the National Prosecution Authority (NPA), Mdlalose is expected to formalise a written confession detailing the events leading to the catastrophic blaze. This confession is reportedly part of the evidence compiled during proceedings before the Commission of Inquiry.
Siyabonga Sithole
iol.co.za
