THE identity of the suspect arrested in connection with the fire that engulfed the Usindiso Building in Marshalltown has been revealed.
The man, a South African national now identified as Sthembiso Mdlalose, appeared briefly in the Joburg Magistrates Court on Thursday, 25 January.
The 29-year-old man faces 76 counts of murder, arson charge and 86 counts of attempted murder, which is a decrease from 120 counts as reported previously.
In court, Advocate Dumisani Mabunda, the lawyer representing Sithembiso, confirmed that his client is a South African and possesses two addresses in the inner city of Joburg and Soweto.
The state prosecutor, Kwanele Ndongeni, said they would need to verify the address and personal particulars before opposing bail officially.
The state opposing Sithembiso's bail comes as his crime is a schedule 6 offence.
In court, Sithembiso appeared wearing a grey jacket with an orange T-shirt. He was calm and seemed relaxed throughout the court proceedings.
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His arrest comes after the suspect, whose identity is still unknown, made a jaw-dropping confession at the Commission of Inquiry on Tuesday, 23 January, wherein he admitted that he had allegedly started the fire.
In August 2023, a fire wreaked havoc in the inner city of Joburg, destroying a five-story hijacked building.
Speaking to the media outside court, Mabunda acknowledged the confession made by Sithembiso, stating he was not forced.
"I have a copy of the confession as it was given to me in the morning (Thursday), will have to go through it and consult with my client... my instructions are that he did that (confessed) voluntarily," Mabunda said.
With the confession out there, Mabunda raised concerns about safety surrounding Sithembiso and stated that arrangements to have him kept in a private cell have been made.
In the meantime, Gauteng National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Phindi Mjonondwane set the record straight about the confession.
"The rules of the commission clearly state that evidence that is led before the commission may not necessarily be used in a subsequent trial. So, as a state, we can't rely on such evidence, hence the need to conduct our own investigation and build our own case that meets the requirements in terms of criminal law," she said.
The case has been postponed to Friday, 2 February.
