DA lays culpable homicide charges against JPC CEO Helen Botes over deadly Usindiso fire

Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) CEO Helen Botes is once again facing legal trouble after the Democratic Alliance (DA) opened a case of culpable homicide against her on Tuesday. 

The charge stems from Botes’ alleged failure to adequately manage the Usindiso building in Marshalltown, which was engulfed in a deadly fire in August 2023 that claimed 76 lives. 

Dozens of others were injured or displaced.

The DA announced that the charge was filed at the Johannesburg Central Police Station. 

The party announced its State of the City Address (SOCA), where it highlighted numerous challenges facing Johannesburg, including the persistent problem of hijacked buildings.

The Usindiso building, which had been illegally occupied, is seen by the DA as emblematic of widespread administrative and infrastructure failures throughout the city. 

The JPC, a municipal entity, is responsible for managing publicly owned properties in Johannesburg. 

Botes has served as its CEO for 15 years and also holds the position of acting chief operating officer for the City of Johannesburg.

DA Chief Whip in the city council, Nicole Rahn, said pursuing the charge against Botes was a necessary and solemn step.

“That building had become a ticking time bomb, illegally occupied, unsafe, and repeatedly flagged to Ms. Botes as a serious risk. Yet nothing was done,” Rahn said.

She added that the Khampepe Commission of Inquiry into the fire laid blame squarely on Botes and the JPC.

“Enforcement was neglected, warnings were ignored, and a building owned by the City of Johannesburg was left to rot until it became a death trap.”

“Botes, as the CEO and accounting officer, had both the authority and the obligation to act. She chose not to, for four years,” Rahn said.

Meanwhile, DA caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku echoed these sentiments, calling for Botes to be held accountable for what she described as “incompetence.”

“There has been no accountability. So we opened a case of culpable homicide against Helen Botes because the Khampepe report issued recommendations, and they should be implemented,” she said.

The commission found that the fatal fire could have been avoided if the JPC had effectively managed the hijacked property. It is recommended that Botes be held accountable.

This is not the first time Botes has faced scrutiny. 

A 2021 Special Investigating Unit (SIU) report previously implicated her in financial mismanagement that cost the city more than R18 million.

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