Marshalltown fire inquiry: Shocking revelations emerge

USINDISO Building was a brewing disaster even before the fire.

These were some of the testimonies shared during the Commission of Inquiry into the Usindiso Building fire this week.

The commission, which was established by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, is five months into stage one of the inquiry. This stage aims to establish the circumstances surrounding the fatal fire and also look into the prevalence of buildings in the Joburg CBD being abandoned by their legitimate landlords or owners.

While the inquiry was met with several delays, it's yet to be known if it will meet its deadline. This as the investigations, which include determining who will shoulder the liability or responsibility, were meant to be concluded in March.

As testimonies continue, former Usindiso Ministries director, Glyn Weldschidt took to the stand to reveal that the building was "disruptive" even before the tragedy that claimed the lives of 77 people.

This was around the time when the building still served as a shelter for abused women and children where rehabilitation and social services were offered for 12 months.

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But when four women refused to leave the shelter after their rehabilitation programme was completed, Weldschidt said they had become disruptive to the programmes and were bullying the other women. 

According to Weldschidt, Usindiso Ministries director, Pastor Jay's decision to leave the shelter was because he felt threatened by the situation.

"Leaving Usindiso would later see the building being without leadership, swimming in debt and being invaded by informal settlement dwellers turning the place into a harbor for criminals," said Weldschidt.

The commission also heard testimony from City of Joburg Economic Development MMC Nomoya Mnisi who argued that though they had been negligent, they were not liable for the deaths that occurred.

“We dropped the ball. We didn't do due diligence after our stakeholder who was responsible for overseeing the building was manhandled. [But] our dropping the ball had nothing to do with people dying in Usindiso," she said.