Alleged Nugget Street arsonist to return to court in May

Alleged Nugget Street arsonist to return to court in May

The case against the alleged Nugget Street building arsonist has been postponed to 10 May for further investigation.

Joburg-City-Fire-22-01-2024
Masechaba Sefularo/Jacaranda FM News

Bonisiwe Gumede made a brief appearance in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday morning, where she faces two counts of murder and a charge of arson after two people lost their lives.

The 30-year-old is accused of starting a fire at the hijacked Express Building in the Johannesburg CBD following an alleged domestic dispute with her partner in January.

The matter was postponed due to outstanding evidence.

“What is outstanding on the evidence is the photo album for the entire incident, and the fire report is still outstanding. As the defence, we've decided to give the state enough time to collect all the outstanding evidence,” said Gumede's lawyer, Tutula Nduna.

Dressed in a blue sweater, grey tracksuit pants, and colourful sneakers, Gumede appeared more confident than she did at her previous court appearances.

The accused abandoned bail last month due to challenges with her address.

READ MORE: Alleged Nugget Street building arsonist abandons bail bid

Meanwhile, the family of one of the deceased victims, Sizwe Cele, said they feel they have no choice but to allow the law to take its course.

Cele’s uncle, Msongelwa Mnisi, confirmed that they were finally able to lay his nephew to rest earlier this month after waiting nearly a month for DNA results to finalise the identification process.

“We managed to get the body, and we buried our loved one on the 2nd of this month. That gives us a little bit of closure, but still, the siblings aren’t coping at all.

“I think that maybe time will heal. But it was tough.”

Mnisi said while they were disappointed about the postponement, they would continue to attend proceedings to learn more about what led to their relative’s death as they hope to find closure.

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