On August 31, 2023, a 29-year-old man admitted to an inquiry that he was responsible for igniting the fire.
South African police have detained a man accused of igniting a fire in a central Johannesburg skyscraper last year, which killed scores of people.
Police announced the arrest on Wednesday, a day after the 29-year-old suspect admitted to lighting the fire. The suspect is due to appear in a Johannesburg court "soon" on accusations of arson, 77 counts of murder, and 120 counts of attempted murder, according to a police statement reported by Reuters.
On August 31, 2023, a fireball blasted through the five-story Usindiso skyscraper in Marshalltown, Johannesburg's inner city.
The structure, which was formerly an apartheid-era "pass laws" office and subsequently a women's refuge, was "hijacked," or taken over, and converted into an unlawful dwelling.
Many of the victims of the August fire, including migrants from neighboring countries, were charred beyond recognition.
According to emergency services personnel, the majority of the building's fire escapes were locked or chained down that night, making the conflagration even more deadly.
According to witnesses and health officials, many individuals leaped out of windows to escape the fire. Some claimed they had to toss their newborns and children out, hoping they would be grabbed by those below.
During an inquiry hearing on Tuesday, the suspect, who testified as a witness, acknowledged igniting the fire, according to local media reports.
According to South Africa's Eyewitness News, the suspect said he ignited the fire in the packed apartment complex to cover up a murder he committed, which sparked the larger conflagration.
Andy Chinnah, an Amnesty International rights campaigner who attended the hearing, told the AFP news agency that the guy admitted to being a drug user who had met a dealer in the building.
The individual said he was intoxicated on drugs when the fire started and only then realized the scale of the conflagration.
Witnesses stated he also burst into tears when addressing the committee about his activities the night of the fire.
According to Eyewitness News, the inquiry's evidence leader stated that the man's remarks before the investigation may not be used against him in court.
The individual further testified that the facility was a refuge for criminals, basically operated by drug traffickers.
The fire brought the world's attention to downtown Johannesburg's long-standing problem with "hijacked" buildings, which are decrepit structures that have been taken over by criminal organizations that collect fees to dwell there.
According to authorities, hundreds of similar structures may be found in the city's ancient core.
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