Retired Constitutional Court judge, Justice Sisi Khampepe.
Retired Constitutional Court judge, Justice Sisi Khampepe, will on Tuesday address the media on the state of readiness of the commission of inquiry into the deaths of 77 residents of the Usindiso Building, which burnt down in August.
Three weeks ago, the media briefing to begin the work of the commission was postponed due to “unforeseen” circumstances.
The inquiry, chaired by Justice Khampepe and supported by advocates Thulani Makhubela and Vuyelwa Mathilda Mabena, was set to begin its hearing at the start of October.
However, last week, Gauteng ANC chairperson and Premier Panyaza Lesufi indicated that “teething problems” related to financial costs and other challenges had contributed to delays in the start of the Marshalltown fire inquiry.
According to Justice Khampepe’s office, the chairperson of the commission is expected to brief the media on the latest activities of the commission since its inception over a month ago.
“During the media briefing, Justice Khampepe will brief the media and the public on its activities since its appointment and also provide details on the rules and regulations of the commission, the venue for the hearing, the conduct of the proceedings, issues of security, psychosocial services that may be required at the hearing, invitation to the public to furnish information to the commission and the guidelines on media coverage,” read a statement from the commission’s office.
Last month, Lesufi officially introduced and announced the terms of reference of the commission of inquiry into the deadly Marshalltown tragedy of August 31.
The fire at the Usindiso Building in the Johannesburg CBD, which occurred in the early hours of Thursday, August 31, claimed at least 77 lives and left dozens more injured, wounded, and homeless.
Lesufi indicated during a recent media briefing that the inquiry had requested to have its own safe working resources and tools. This included work emails, facilities, and offices, rather than using government resources.
In addition to investigating the cause and source of the deadly fire, the commission is set to investigate the increase in the number of abandoned buildings and the emergence of syndicates who are alleged to have taken over some of the buildings belonging to the City as well as those owned by private landlords.
Lesufi said the inquiry will be broken into two phases. The first phase will look into the cause of the fire, while the second phase will look into the prevalence of hijacked buildings in the province.
He added that the commission had two months to establish the cause of the Marshalltown fire and who is to blame, while from January 2024 the commission has been given four months to probe the prevalence of hijacked buildings in Gauteng.
It is not clear if the commission will indeed meet its deadlines given the “teething problems” suggested by the premier.