Former Usindiso residents shocked at neighbour’s arrest for arson
Word began to spread in the Johannesburg city centre on Friday that Sithembiso Lawrence Mdlalose has been charged with arson, 76 counts of murder, and 86 counts of attempted murder.
Some former residents of the hijacked Usindiso Building in Marshalltown said they were still reeling from shock following the confession and subsequent arrest of a man whom they considered their neighbour.
He appeared briefly before the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
Those who know him said Mdlalose, a confessed drug addict, said he wasn’t always violent but grew to become ruthless at the behest of the Tanzanian drug lord that he claims he worked for.
One man, who admitted to being a drug user himself, said he had known Mdlalose since 2018.
“He was a good guy, although I can’t vouch for all his moves. He is well-educated, but I guess the drugs got to him.”
He said this latest revelation was not the first time Mdlalose claimed responsibility for the fire that left dozens injured and scores more displaced.
“He told the guys he smokes with that he was the one who burnt people, and they spread it around town.”
The man admitted that while the hijacked property was home to some blue-collar workers who could not afford to pay for proper accommodation, it was also riddled with criminal activities.
He claims Mdlalose was a known peddler.
READ: Usindiso Fire: Security concerns keep confessed arsonist in private cell
Another man described the 29-year-old as “corrupt”.
“He fought with people, he was violent, and he spent a lot of time with the Tanzanians selling drugs,” he added.
The group of men, who survived by trading scrap metal and guarding cars, said if Mdlalose was indeed guilty then the law must take its course.
ADMISSIBILITY OF CONFESSION
When he made the damning revelation during his testimony at the Usindiso Commission of Inquiry, evidence leader Ishmael Semenya affirmed that Mdlalose’s admission could not be used in court.
However, following his first court appearance on Thursday, the National Prosecuting Authority confirmed that after the police took him in for questioning, Mdlalose made another confession per the law.
Section 217(1)(a) of the Criminal Procedures Act states: “Where a confession is made to a peace officer who is not a magistrate or a justice of the peace, such a confession must be confirmed or reduced to writing in the presence of a magistrate.:
Police have continued investigations to determine the veracity of Mdlalose’s claims.
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