A report into a fire that killed 76 people in the South African city of Johannesburg in August last year has found the city municipality liable.
The report by a commission of inquiry was released on Sunday.
Justice Sisi Khampepe released the first part of her findings to the public, saying that the Joburg Property Company (JPC)and City of Johannesburg had failed in their obligations as "owner and municipality" of the building.
Although a 29-year-old man had admitted to setting the fire to cover up a murder, Khampepe said the consequences would have been "mitigated significantly" had the City complied with its own laws and regulations.
The five-storey building, known as "Usindiso" house, was officially empty at the time of the fire in the early morning of August 31, 2023, but hundreds of people were actually living there illegally.
Residents used illegal water and electricity connections for domestic use and had erected partitions made of highly flammable materials.
The partitions compromised built-in emergency exits and escape routes, Khampepe said, adding that the building showed a high prevalence of crime.
The City and JPC had never attended to all these issues, despite knowing about them since 2019, she continued.
Khampepe recommended demolition of the building, the erection of a memorial plaque and further investigation into those liable for each contravention of the bylaws.
Johannesburg's city centre is considered run-down and dangerous.
Companies and businesses moved to neighbouring districts many years ago due to the high crime rate.
As a result, numerous buildings in the city centre are empty, many of which are occupied by homeless people.
Property owners there have long since stopped maintaining their properties, whose market and rental prices have fallen.