7 months ago
84
It is a tragedy that has compelled many to offer the help they can, in the true spirit of SA’s generosity and humanity, a kind gesture we hope will be matched by the City of Joburg.
Beyond the surface of this incident are serious questions that authorities must interrogate.
On Wednesday, it emerged that the body of a woman was found in the apartment where emergency services personnel believe the fire started.
Neighbours told us that they heard the woman fight with her partner days before the fire and that the couple, whose movements were generally noticeable, had not been seen since.
Neighbours say they last saw the woman on Thursday while the man was last seen on Friday.
Granted, arguments between intimate partners are a matter of course and it is reasonable to believe that there may be no credible link between the couple's disagreement and the fire.
However, in a country where intimate partner violence and femicide is a national crisis, it is reasonable, and even necessary, to ask questions about how the woman died, how the fire started in the first place and importantly, whether her partner was in any way involved in the incident.
These questions are even more compelling considering that the man in question had not been seen, at least not by neighbours, after the fire.
A report by forensic investigators will shed light on the circumstances of the scene and whether evidence point to anyone’s culpability.
If it does, the law must take its course and justice must be served for all victims of this devastation.
