Johannesburg - Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has established a commission of inquiry into the deadly Marshalltown fire.
According to a media statement yesterday, the inquiry will be chaired by Justice Sisi Khampepe, assisted by advocate Thulani Makhubela and Vuyelwa Mathilda Mabena.
On Thursday, Lesufi said he would be setting up a committee to probe the fire and its origins. He said he would work closely with Minister of Justice Ronald Lamola in establishing the committee to respond to the crisis, as well as with other spheres of government.
“In this regard, I intend to institute a committee of inquiry to investigate this deadly inferno, working with Minister Ronald Lamola. The inquiry will investigate the prevalence of hijacked buildings in the city, who must take responsibility, and allow us to get to the real cause of the incident,” he said.
However, opposition parties opposed this, with ActionSA saying there was no need for such a commission as the facts of the fire were clear enough.
Yesterday, however, an adamant Lesufi charged on and established the commission. Lesufi said he has used section 127 (2)(e) of the Constitution, read with section 2 of the Provincial Commissions Act, to appoint a commission of inquiry into the deadly fire that killed 77 people inside a five-storey building last Thursday morning.
“The commission will investigate the prevalence of hijacked buildings in Johannesburg, what caused the deadly blaze in Marshalltown, and who must shoulder the total responsibility for this tragedy,” Lesufi said.
The premier said that the terms of reference for the commission were still being drafted and would be gazetted in time, adding that the work of the commission would not interfere with the investigations being done by the police and other institutions, including the city.
ActionSA provincial spokesperson James de Villiers said the party still maintained its earlier position.
“ActionSA believes that there is no need for Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi to set up a committee of inquiry into the cause of the devastating building fire in Marshalltown, Johannesburg, when the facts are clear over the circumstances that led to the blaze. We view this move as another PR stunt by the ever-grandstanding ANC Gauteng chairperson who tends to use state resources for his gimmicks,” he said.
Lesufi said it was the intention of his government to bring about the necessary changes in the province.
“The Gauteng government seeks a comprehensive overhaul of all underlying issues that put the lives of the residents of the province in danger, and the commission is the initial step in achieving this objective,” he said.
The Star