A former resident of the Usindiso Building, where a fire engulfed the building and killed 76 people, has told the chairperson of the commission, Justice Sisi Khampepe, that the conditions at the building were unsafe.
On Tuesday, Yandisa Mnqandi testified that many people had been killed inside the building before the fire.
He alleged that the police did nothing about many of the incidents.
“There are lot of bad things that happened at that building that made me feel unsafe. There are many people who died there without anything being done about it.
“There were more than 500 of us and that makes it impossible for us to know. If you hear that someone has died, who do you say is responsible because there were too many people who are unaccountable,” he said.
The police only came once in a while to check up on what was happening there, he said, adding that they cared less about the criminality that was taking place inside the building.
“The police would come but they never did much to investigate the criminality that was ongoing inside the building,” he said.
On Monday, the commission also heard how the Usindiso Building was a haven for criminals from another former resident, Thobisile Mthembu, who testified that drug dealing was prevalent.
Mr Ngulube, who works as a lift technician, also recounted his experience having lost his 14-year old daughter in the fire and the injuries he sustained during the blaze.
He said he moved into the building during the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and was staying with a friend. He later lived with his wife and a child of one-year-and-four-months in one of the rooms on the first floor.
The conditions were not that bad, he said, as they had water and felt a bit safe because of there being burglar proofs in some of the rooms.
He said he had to jump from the fourth floor of the burning building, while carrying his daughter. His wife also jumped along with another child who was later confirmed dead.
“Even now, due to the injuries, I can’t walk for long as I suffer from short breath. I have done X-rays which have confirmed that I am still not 100% well.
“I am still going to undergo another surgery as I can’t speak properly at the moment.
“I lost everything in the fire and only escaped with my short pants. I can’t walk for long when wearing shoes. I am only able to walk between 20 to 30 minutes and after that, my feet become hot,” he said.
The inquiry continues.
The Star
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