The case of alleged arsonist Sthembiso Mdlalose, who stands accused of deliberately setting the hijacked Usindiso building on fire that claimed 76 lives in 2023, has been postponed to Wednesday after one of the two witnesses who were expected to testify failed to show up in court.

The witness said the taxi he was travelling in had a mechanical issue.

The trial is taking place at the High Court sitting in Palm Ridge.

The court heard from several other witnesses who testified about the fire as it consumed the building.

One of the witnesses, Zanab Hassan, nearly lost her baby and her own life.

“Both myself and my neighbour tried to open the emergency door, but we struggled because we didn’t have the keys and all of a sudden my neighbour disappeared and I remained with my child. Seeing that my neighbour was no longer in his room, I then decided to go back to my room,” says Hassan.

She has told the court about how she threw her baby out of the window in panick.

“I didn’t reach my room. I went to another neighbour’s room. I had mistaken my neighbours room to my room. I then found an open window and looked through the window and I shouted to the group of people that were outside as I wanted to throw my baby. Then the people came and I was able throw my child,” she says.