Johannesburg: A man has been arrested and will face 76 counts of murder after he stunned an investigation by saying he started a fatal building fire in South Africa last year while trying to dispose of the body of a person he had strangled on the orders of a drug dealer.
The shocking confession came as the man was giving evidence before the public inquiry into the causes of the overnight fire at the Johannesburg apartment complex in August, which was one of the worst disasters the country has ever seen.
Part of the interior of the ground floor of the building that was gutted by fire on August 31.credit: SAGC/AP
The 29-year-old, who was not named, said he killed a man in the basement of the dilapidated building on the night of the fire by beating and strangling him, according to South African media reports of the testimony. He said he then poured gasoline on the man's body and set it on fire with a match.
He testified that he was a drug user and was asked by a Tanzanian drug dealer who lived in the building to kill the man.
Hours later, police said they arrested the man. He also faces 120 counts of attempted murder and one count of arson, police said in a statement. Police said he would appear in court in Johannesburg soon, but no date has been set.
The investigation in which he was testifying is not a criminal proceeding and his confession came as a complete surprise. The investigation is looking into the cause of the fire and what safety failures may have led to the deaths of so many people, and he testified because he was a resident of the building.
Paramedics and emergency workers work at the scene of a deadly fire in downtown Johannesburg on August 31.credit: AP
The investigating committee ordered his identity not to be revealed after his testimony, and the lawyer leading the cross-examination said his confession could not be used against him because it was not a criminal hearing.
South African media referred to him as “Mr. More than 80 people were injured.
