Usindiso Building fire case postponed to 9 September

The Usindiso Building fire case has been postponed to the 9th of September by the High Court in Johannesburg sitting in Palm Ridge.

This is to allow the state time to call in a doctor to clarify postmortem reports.

Sthembiso Mdlalose faces 76 counts of murder for his alleged involvement in starting the August 2023 fire that killed 76 people, mostly Malawian nationals.

State Prosecutor, Thami Mpekane presented an affidavit from a medical doctor, to clarify some discrepancies in pathology report, including bodies that were initially reported to have been burned to death, while the victims actually died of smoke inhalation.

The indictment also referred to one of the victims as a female person, however, photographs depicted the body as that of a male person.

Judge Cassim Moosa ruled that it would be best that the doctor that wrote the first report come testify in person.

“The information provided here needs to be explained by the author thereof.

It cannot be said that the court must now reach its own conclusion that page 7 of this particular document, signed by the Acting Head of the Clinical Unit, is, in fact, what the finding was as at that particular day.

The court cannot accept that.” RELATED VIDEO: Usindiso Building Fire | Survivor shares chilling testimony