Case against woman accused of starting Nugget Street fire resumes in court
Bonisiwe Gumede stands accused of setting alight the Express building in the Johannesburg CBD, resulting in the deaths of two people, five others being injured, and over 100 families displaced.
The remains of a building at the corner of Nugget and Commissioner Street in Johannesburg following a fire on 21 January 2024. Picture: Jacques Nelles/Eyewitness News
JOHANNESBURG - The murder and arson case against the woman accused of recently starting a deadly fire in the Johannesburg CBD is set to resume in court on Tuesday morning.
Bonisiwe Gumede made her first appearance last week at the Johannesburg Magistrates Court following her arrest.
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Gumede is accused of setting alight the Express building in the inner city.
Two people were burnt beyond recognition, five others were injured and more than a hundred families displaced.
Gumede is facing two counts of murder and a charge of arson after she allegedly started the blaze during a heated argument with her lover at the hijacked two-story building last weekend.
It's understood the accused used paraffin to start the fire, which spread rapidly through the congested building.
During her first appearance in the dock, the State opposed that Gumede be filmed or photographed, fearing that publishing her pictures could jeopardise the police's case.
While the investigation into the fire continues, the State promised to oppose Gumede's bail application.