Man accused of torching Usindiso building claims he doesn’t know how fire started

JOHANNESBURG - The man accused of torching the hijacked Usindiso building in Marshalltown has altered his version of events, now claiming he has no idea how the fire started.

This contradicts his two previous confessions, in which he admitted to using petrol to ignite the blaze that killed 76 people in August 2023.

Thirty-two-year-old Sthembiso Mdlalose is on trial at the Palm Ridge Magistrates Court on multiple counts of murder, attempted murder and arson.

Mdlalose previously confessed to both the commission of inquiry, set up to probe the fire, and a court magistrate that he started the deadly inferno.

His attempt to retract the confession was rejected in court after he argued that he had been under the influence of drugs and acting under duress when he admitted to the crime.

Mdlalose presented a new version of events in court on Wednesday, claiming he was hanging out with friends when he noticed the building was on fire.

“My friends and I were hanging out on the third floor. I don’t know how the fire started, but we could hear the commotion in the building. We quickly left our room to try and see what was going on; we saw the commotion and a lot of smoke.”

This directly contradicts his earlier confession, in which he admitted to igniting the fire on the ground floor of the building to cover up a murder he had committed.