She said the building showed signs of disrepair and danger to life and property and became liable to be demolished.
"The accumulation of waste, the presence of unhygienic and unsanitary conditions, the existence of overcrowding, and the occupation of the building without a sufficient supply of potable water, coupled with the COJ's failure to prevent, eliminate, and remove such public health hazards and nuisances is evidence of the contravention sections 5(2); 6; 7(2); and 38; of the public health by-laws."
Khampepe recommended that the city consider putting up a plaque in memory of the deceased and bearing the names of those who died in the fire.
"The process for demolishing the Usindiso building must be seen to its full and final implementation. The mayor should consider the position of the MMC for the department of human settlements and public safety, whose political responsibility or lack of oversight conduced to bring about the disaster that was Usindiso and that the accounting officers of the City's entities, namely, the JPC, Johannesburg Water, City Power, and Pikitup, must be subjected to disciplinary processes where there is evidence of the contraventions of their duties, which, if they had been performed, would have avoided the Usindiso building tragedy."
chabalalaj@sowetan.co.za
Usindiso fire inquiry says building must be demolished
Image: ANTONIO MUCHAVE
The Usindiso building in Johannesburg where 76 people lost their lives in a fire was never zoned for residential purposes and at the time of the deadly blaze, it had a high prevalence of crime.
This is according to justice Sisi Khampepe, chairperson of the commission of inquiry into the deadly fire in Marshalltown in August 2023.
Khampepe, who handed over the first part of her report to Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi, said the building had been abandoned by the City of Johannesburg and the Johannesburg Property Company at least since 2019.
"The building was vandalised by the removal and sale for cash of the steel reinforcement material supporting the columns, pillars and slabs. The COJ and JPC never attended to repairs and maintenance of the building," she said.
JUSTICE KHAMPEPE TO OFFICIALLY HAND OVER THE REPORT ON PART (A) (I) OF USINDISO BUILDING COMMISSION OF INQUIRY TO PREMIER LESUFI.
She said the building showed signs of disrepair and danger to life and property and became liable to be demolished.
"The accumulation of waste, the presence of unhygienic and unsanitary conditions, the existence of overcrowding, and the occupation of the building without a sufficient supply of potable water, coupled with the COJ's failure to prevent, eliminate, and remove such public health hazards and nuisances is evidence of the contravention sections 5(2); 6; 7(2); and 38; of the public health by-laws."
Khampepe recommended that the city consider putting up a plaque in memory of the deceased and bearing the names of those who died in the fire.
"The process for demolishing the Usindiso building must be seen to its full and final implementation. The mayor should consider the position of the MMC for the department of human settlements and public safety, whose political responsibility or lack of oversight conduced to bring about the disaster that was Usindiso and that the accounting officers of the City's entities, namely, the JPC, Johannesburg Water, City Power, and Pikitup, must be subjected to disciplinary processes where there is evidence of the contraventions of their duties, which, if they had been performed, would have avoided the Usindiso building tragedy."
chabalalaj@sowetan.co.za
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