Mapaballo Borotho
- The Usindiso building fire trial resumed at the Palm Ridge Magistrates’ Court after the 2023 blaze that killed over 70 people.
- The State revealed that seven key witnesses cannot be traced, with some having left for Malawi and Mozambique.
- Without them, prosecutors may need to rely more on forensic and physical evidence to build their case.
The Usindiso building fire trial resumed on Tuesday at the Palm Ridge Magistrates’ Court, nearly a year after the devastating blaze that killed more than 70 people and left hundreds displaced.
The fire, which broke out on 31 August 2023 in an abandoned Marshalltown building, was allegedly started by Lawrence Mdlalose.
The tragedy sparked national outrage over Johannesburg’s hijacked buildings and the unsafe living conditions many residents face.
Following the incident, a commission of inquiry led by former Justice Sisi Khampepe was established to investigate the cause of the deaths.
In the first part of her report, Khampepe found the City of Johannesburg liable, stating the tragedy could have been prevented or mitigated had the city complied with its legal obligations as the building’s owner.
But the trial faces a major hurdle: seven key state witnesses cannot be located.
Investigating officer Andile Mankanyi told the court that police had exhausted efforts to track them down.
He revealed that some witnesses had returned to their home countries, including Malawi and Mozambique, while local witnesses had changed addresses and contact numbers.
With the witnesses missing, the State may have to rely more heavily on forensic and physical evidence to make its case against Mdlalose.
The case has been postponed to Thursday, 07 July 2025.
This remains a developing story. For more updates, follow @KayaNews.
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