Witness 'doesn't believe' Usindiso fire accused was forced to confess
Noluthando Khumalo-Mzizi testified at the Johannesburg high court sitting in Palm Ridge magistrate's court on Wednesday, a day after Mdlalose's confession was read in court.
Mdlalose is accused of setting fire to the Usindiso building in Johannesburg in 2023, resulting in the deaths of 76 people and leaving 12 others injured.
After the incident, a commission of inquiry led by former justice Sisi Khampepe to probe, among other aspects, the circumstances that led to the deaths was established in September 2023.
Mdlalose gave testimony on January 23 2024, allegedly implicating himself as the person who started the fire, resulting in an order by Khampepe that he be taken to a magistrate to reduce his confession to writing.
He is facing 76 counts of murder, one count of arson and 12 counts of attempted murder.
Khumalo-Mzizi testified that she knew the alleged Tanzanian drug dealer as she used to do her hair at his salon. She told the court that she only knew tenants who were living on floor one, where she was staying, and didn't know Mdlalose.
She said that night of the fire, she heard noise from the basement, where Master stayed, late in the evening before the fire started.
'I said to myself that those are Tanzanians, they had already started as they used to fight and make noise and hurt one another,' she testified, adding that it was normal for them to make noise.
'Upon hearing the noise, I ignored it.' She said that was around 11pm and she subsequently heard people screaming around 2am. She peeped through the window and realised that the smoke was emanating from Master's side, who lived on the ground floor.
'I took the phone, the gown and ended up opening the door. After that, I tried to run towards the west direction. I took two steps and I could feel there was heat on my face,' she testified, adding that she had been sleeping naked.
'I made a turn, heading to the other side where there is another gate. I could feel I was stepping on bodies.' She testified that she stumbled upon about 11 bodies while naked in the darkness.
She said it was dark as there was no electricity in the building. She added that she jumped over the balcony from the first floor when one of the tenants advised her to put on her gown.
She testified that she last saw the alleged Tanzanian drug lord, Master, three months after the incident. She testified that she didn't know who could have burnt the building, but she knew that it was set alight.
When asked about Mdlalose's confession during cross-examination, she testified that she did not believe he was forced to confess. When asked if Master was responsible for the fire, she told the court that she didn't know anything.
'He is lying. Do you think someone will threaten you to do that, and agree to go to jail? If he was threatened, why didn't he go to the police and inform them?
'We are talking about Master, who is a foreign national, and when we talk about Sithembiso, we are talking about a South African citizen. How come he was threatened by a foreign national?' she asked. 'We were left with nothing because of him. We are left with no friends, no families, and some of the children have lost their parents. He must just come forth and tell the truth,' she said.
She added that she knew Master was selling drugs, but she did not know who was selling drugs on his behalf.
In his confession, Mdlalose said the man he had asked to sell R300 merchandise for him had not returned and he had already told Master that he gave the merchandise to KB and Master wasn't really happy with this explanation.
'I had to find him as my life was at risk. We found him on Wednesday evening,' he said in his confession.
He said that he and Siwe took KB to Usindiso Building, ground floor, where they had a room called Slaghuis — a room where people are tortured. He said at the time he didn't squander the proceeds and had to prove himself to Master by assaulting KB.
'Based on the fact that I acted in rage, I think I overdid the assault. I returned later, saw he was conscious, so I started beating him again. There was a kettle cord which I used to strangle him,' he said in his confession.
He said he wasn't intending on killing KB, but when he realised that he was no longer breathing, he was in a state of confusion and panic he had to devise a way to get rid of the body or move it.
'I decided to go buy petrol. I didn't expect my actions would lead to innocent people dying and being injured. I came back after buying the petrol and I doused his [KB's] body with petrol and I went to stand near the doorway, struck a match and threw it at his body,' read the confession.
The trial was adjourned until Friday.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The South African
2 days ago
- The South African
Kenya dropped terror charges against activist Boniface Mwangi
Kenya dropped terrorism charges against activist Boniface Mwangi following widespread criticism on 21 July 2025. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) had arrested Mwangi at his Lukenya home on 19 July 2025. Authorities initially accused him of facilitating terrorist acts during the 25 June 2025 protests. Rights groups condemned the charges as politically motivated and legally unfounded. Furthermore, Mwangi denied all allegations, declaring publicly, 'I am not a terrorist'. Mwangi now faces two charges: possession of blank ammunition and noxious substances without authority. The charge sheet cites one round of 7.62 mm blank ammunition and three teargas canisters found at Mageuzi Hub, Nairobi. Police allegedly recovered these items during a search on 19 July 2025. Mwangi pleaded not guilty and was released on a bond of KSh 1 million (approximately R140 000 – R150 000). His lawyer, Njanja Maina, disputed the legitimacy of the evidence presented. A coalition of 37 rights organisations, including the Police Reforms Working Group (PRWG), criticised the government's use of anti-terrorism laws against protesters. They stated Mwangi's arrest reflects a broader crackdown on youth-led dissent. Former Chief Justice David Maraga accused the government of weaponising the judiciary to silence critics. In addition, Siaya Governor James Orengo called the charges 'ridiculous' and legally baseless. The Anti-Terrorism Police Unit's involvement in protest-related arrests has sparked legal and public concern. CONTEXT: PROTESTS AND POLICE VIOLENCE Mwangi's arrest followed deadly protests against President William Ruto on 25 June 2025. Demonstrators demanded accountability for police brutality and economic hardship. Over 100 deaths have been reported since protests began in 2024, according to rights groups. Mwangi has previously faced arrest in Kenya and Tanzania for activism. As a result, his case at the East African Court of Justice alleges torture by Tanzanian police in May 2025. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 11. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.


Eyewitness News
3 days ago
- Eyewitness News
Kenya drops terror charge against prominent activist
NAIROBI, KENYA - Kenya dropped terror charges against prominent activist Boniface Mwangi on Monday, following widespread condemnation, hitting him with a lesser charge of unlawful possession of ammunition. The east African country has seen a wave of deadly protests against President William Ruto and police brutality that have left dozens dead and thousands of businesses destroyed. Rights groups have criticised the government's heavy-handed response, including the recent use of terrorism charges against protesters. Mwangi was detained on Saturday and accused by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations of the "facilitation of terrorist acts", which he denied, declaring in an image on X: "I am not a terrorist". He appeared in a Nairobi court on Monday chanting "Ruto Must Go". His charge sheet, seen by AFP, accused him of "possession of noxious substances to wit three teargas cannisters without lawful authority", as well as a single round of blank ammunition. He pleaded not guilty, denying all charges, and was released on a one-million-shilling (around $7,000) personal bond. "The truth is our president is scared of young people, because young people are organising by themselves, they are going to the streets, they are demanding better," Mwangi told supporters and journalists outside the court. "Our president thinks people are being paid to go to the streets, and they think I am the financer. "People hate Ruto for free," he said. 'ABANDON THIS APPROACH' A coalition of rights groups welcomed the court's decision to drop the terrorism charges, but said they remained "deeply concerned" by its use "in more than 100 other cases". The coalition urged the authorities to "abandon this dangerous approach to managing public dissent". Last week, interior minister Kipchumba Murkomen said that 71 people were facing charges related to acts of terrorism following the recent violent protests. Responding to the criticism, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions said the charges should be "understood within the framework of established legal thresholds and national security imperatives rather than interpreted as efforts to suppress legitimate political expression". Mwangi's detention over the weekend triggered significant online condemnation under the hashtag #FreeBonifaceMwangi. The search warrant police used to raid his home and office accused the campaigner of paying "goons" to stoke unrest at protests last month. Mwangi has been arrested multiple times in Kenya. He was also detained in May in neighbouring Tanzania, where he was attending the treason trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu. Mwangi and Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire say they were tortured and sexually abused while in the custody of Tanzanian police before being returned to their respective countries. The pair brought a case against the Kenyan, Tanzanian and Ugandan governments to the East African Court of Justice last week. Mass protests initially broke out in Kenya in June 2024 over tax rises, and reignited last month over police violence and illegal detentions. Rights groups say more than 100 people have been killed by police since the protests began last year.


eNCA
3 days ago
- eNCA
Kenya drops terror charge against prominent activist
Kenya dropped terror charges against prominent Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi on Monday, following widespread condemnation, hitting him with a lesser charge of unlawful possession of ammunition. The east African country has seen a wave of deadly protests against President William Ruto and police brutality that have left dozens dead and thousands of businesses destroyed. Rights groups have criticised the government's heavy-handed response, including the recent use of terrorism charges against protesters. Mwangi was detained on Saturday and accused by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations with the "facilitation of terrorist acts", which he denied, declaring in an image on X: "I am not a terrorist". He appeared in a Nairobi court on Monday chanting "Ruto Must Go". His charge sheet, seen by AFP, accused him of "possession of noxious substances to wit three teargas cannisters without lawful authority", as well as a single round of blank ammunition. He pleaded not guilty and was released on a one million shilling (around $7,000) bail bond. "The truth is our president is scared of young people, because young people are organising by themselves, they are going to the streets, they are demanding better," Mwangi told supporters and journalists outside the court. "Our president thinks people are being paid to go to the streets, and they think I am the financer. "People hate Ruto for free," he said. A coalition of rights groups welcomed the court's decision to drop the terrorism charges, but said they remained "deeply concerned" by the use "in more than 100 other cases". It urged authorities to "abandon this dangerous approach to managing public dissent". Mwangi's detention over the weekend triggered significant online condemnation under the hashtag #FreeBonifaceMwangi. The search warrant police used to raid his home and office accused the campaigner of paying "goons" to stoke unrest at protests last month. Mwangi has been arrested multiple times in Kenya. He was also detained in May in neighbouring Tanzania where he was attending the treason trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu. Mwangi and Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire say they were tortured and sexually abused while in the custody of Tanzanian police before being returned to their respective countries. The pair brought a case against the Kenyan, Tanzanian and Ugandan governments to the East African Court of Justice last week. Mass protests initially broke out in Kenya in June 2024 over tax rises, and reignited last month over police violence and illegal detentions.