Former occupants have complained their belongings inside were being stolen.
A strong stench of burnt human remains lingers around the building where at least 74 people perished in a fire in Marshalltown last week.
Although it is still unclear what the cause of the fire was, Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi appointed a commission of inquiry to investigate the cause of the fire. The commission will be chaired by Justice Sisi Khampepe, assisted by advocate Thulani Makhubela and community activist Vuyelwa Mathilda Mabena.Lesufi said the commission would investigate the prevalence of hijacked buildings in Johannesburg, what caused the deadly blaze, and who must shoulder total responsibility for the tragedy.
Mnyameni said some of those who have been affected were sleeping in the street to ensure that their belongings were not being stolen.“They don’t want to go to the shelters because if they go there they will not know where their belongings are. This issue of stealing is causing a problem because if somebody is stealing their belongings, they’ll start to disregard the law.
“I lost a family member who I can’t even find now, so I don’t want to stay there any more. I just want my belongings so I can focus on finding my brother to bury him with dignity.”Another man also sitting near the building, John Kachepa, said he had been camping outside the building since he heard about the tragedy in the hope of finding his sister, but he has had no luck. Kachepa said they were informed of the incident by a friend whom her sister shared the room with.
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