A man has been arrested by the South African police for admitting to starting a fire that killed 77 people in a derelict building in downtown Johannesburg last year. The fire was caused by a drug dispute that led to the man strangling another person and setting the body on fire. The suspect, a 29-year-old whose name has not been disclosed, is facing 77 counts of murder and 120 counts of attempted murder. The man confessed during a special commission hearing investigating the fire, shocking the victims’ advocate who was briefed on the testimony. The suspect is set to appear in court on Thursday.
The suspect’s confession came as a surprise, as there were theories about the cause of the fire, but his testimony seemed to come out of nowhere. He claimed that he was high on drugs at the time of the incident. The police have not confirmed whether the suspect confessed to them, but the evidence presented in the hearings is not admissible in a criminal investigation. The suspect’s confession was also heard by a lawyer who is the executive director of the Socio-Economic Rights Institute.
The suspect’s account of the events leading to the fire involved a drug dealer and a dispute that escalated into violence. He admitted to beating up a person in the building and then strangling him in a panic. He then set the body on fire after dousing it with gas. The exact death toll from the fire was unclear due to the extent of the burns on some of the bodies.
The suspect’s arrest and confession have shed new light on the tragic incident that claimed the lives of 77 people. The motive behind the fire and the suspect’s actions have raised questions and left the victims’ advocate and the police searching for answers.
2024-01-24 08:16:14
Source from www.nytimes.com