The Commission of Inquiry into the Usindiso Building fire is expected to hold its first public proceedings today in a bid to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deadly inferno which claimed the lives of at least 77 people.
Thursday’s commission is chaired by Justice Sisi Khampepe with Advocate Thulani Makhubela and Vuyelwa Mathilda Mabena making up the rest of the commission.
“The Commission…was established to inquire, with expedition, into the circumstances surrounding the fire at Usindiso Building and generally the prevalence of buildings or immovable properties in the Johannesburg Central Business District being abandoned by their legitimate landlords or owners and taken over by criminal syndicates or other groups. And leased out to and populated with tenants, who do not have the means to afford other forms of housing, without providing basic services such as water, electricity, refuse removal and sanitation and paying rates and taxes,” the commission’s secretariat said in a statement.
The tragic building fire occurred in August this year and caused an outcry for the City of Johannesburg to deal with the issue of inner city housing.
At the time, President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the site of the fire and lamented the loss of lives.
“We are very saddened as government about the passing of so many people here in Johannesburg. This is unprecedented.
“Johannesburg has never had an incident like this where so many people die as a result of a fire in the centre of the city. This is tragic. This is very sad and I want to pass my condolences and that of the government to the families of those who have passed on and those who are still in hospital.
“We’ve got to go to the bottom of what caused this fire. It’s a wake-up call for us to begin to address the situation of housing in the inner city that a building like this…once the lease had expired, it was then hijacked and we need to get on top of this and find effective ways of dealing with problems of accommodation; of housing and services in the inner city,” he said at the time.
President Ramaphosa further called for agencies to enforce “law and order” in the inner city.
“The lesson for us is that we’ve got to address this problem and root out those criminal elements because it is these types of buildings that are taken over by criminals who then levy rent on vulnerable people and families who need and want accommodation in the inner city,” he said.
Days after the inferno, City of Johannesburg City Manager Floyd Brink confirmed to a media briefing that the building belonged to the city but was hijacked some years ago.
“I wish to…confirm that the affected building belongs to the City of Johannesburg. It is a building that was previously leased to the provincial Social Development Department and used as a shelter for abused women.
“At the conclusion of the lease, some challenges were encountered with the occupants and as a result of the hostilities and stalemate, the building was invaded and hijacked.”
He added that in October 2019, the City through its Group Forensics and Investigation Services raided the building “and as part of the operation realised the arrest of over 140 foreign nationals by Home Affairs and a suspect was incarcerated and charged for illegally collecting rental from tenants at the building,” Brink said.
Today’s hearings will commence at 10am.
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